Discovered 'skull altar' more than 1,000 years old in a cave in Mexico

About 150 toothless skulls have been found in a cave in the state of Chiapas, most likely victims of ancient sacrificial rituals.

In 2012, when about 150 human skulls were discovered in a cave in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, local police initially thought this was the scene of a crime. However, research shows that these people did not die recently, Live Science reported on April 30. Instead, the skulls date from pre-Hispanic times, around 900 to 1200, and are most likely victims of ritual sacrifice.

About 150 human skulls were discovered in a cave in the state of Chiapas, Mexico in 2021.

After the discovery, experts removed the bones from the cave and brought them to the capital Tuxtla Gutiérrez of Chiapas state. Here, police and Mexico's National Institute of Historical Anthropology (INAH) cooperated to investigate. The skulls were discovered in an area notorious for violence and human trafficking. In addition, there is no clear indication that the deceased belonged to the pre-Hispanic era.

After analysis, the INAH team determined the skulls were more than 1,000 years old, mostly belonging to adult women, with the exception of the bones of three infants. In addition, none of the skulls had teeth.

This suggests a tzompantli or "skull altar" once existed in the cave, according to Javier Montes de Paz, an anthropologist at INAH who helped date the skulls. The reason is that the bones in the cave are mostly skulls or fragments of skulls, and there are no complete skeletons.

The tzompantli was a wooden stand that the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures used to display the skulls of sacrificial victims. Their heads were pierced through their temples and placed on stakes like beads on an abacus, according to scholar Juanita Garciagodoy, who taught at Macalesteresota University's Spanish department. The team of scientists found traces of wooden stakes next to the skulls, providing further evidence of a tzompantli.

This is not the first time tzompantli have been discovered in Chiapas. In the 1980s, 124 skulls were also discovered - all with missing teeth - in Banquetas Cave. Similarly, in 1993, during the exploration of Devil's Tapesco cave, five skulls were found believed to have been placed on a wooden frame. Montes de Paz stressed the need for continued archaeological research in the area and said, if individuals discover such sites, they should immediately contact the authorities or INAH.