Arlen and Diane Chase, professors at the University of Houston, uncovered the ancient burial ground at the Caracol site in Belize, the university announced on July 10. Caracol was a major Mayan metropolis founded in the 300s AD and was abandoned by 900 AD.
The tomb belonged to Teʼ Kʼab Chaak, who is the earliest ruler and founder of Caracol’s royal dynasty. The tomb is also the first to ever be discovered at the site. “Now in ruins, this metropolis was a major political player in Maya history,” the University of Houston said in a press release.
Inside the tomb, archaeologists found 11 pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, jewelry, and a jadeite mosaic death mask. Arlen Chase described the items as “priceless,” explaining to Fox News, “Professional archaeologists will not put a dollar value on the items they dig up … The true value of the materials is in what they can tell us about the ancient culture.”
The artifacts, dating to around 350 AD, included two vessels from Guatemala’s Highlands and shells from the Pacific Ocean, which were “the result of long-distance trade.” The burial chamber was identified by its size, jadeite artifacts, and cinnabar covering.
Teʼ Kʼab Chaak, estimated to have been 5-foot-7 and elderly at death, had no teeth at the time of burial. Diane Chase noted that the burial “really showed off Teʼ Kʼab Chaak's status and wealth,” citing “the two Pacific spondylus shells near his head, the jadeite ear flares, the carved jadeite tubular beads, and the mosaic jadeite death mask.”
Traveling between Teotihuacan and Caracol would take 153 days on foot.
Diane Chase emphasized, “Finding a ruler’s burial is extremely unusual, and important. This is the first one we have discovered within the ancient city of Caracol.” She added, "Even more important, he is the first ruler of the Caracol dynasty with some 30 other rulers following him (according to the hieroglyphic[s]) before the city was abandoned."
