Archaeologists have hailed the “discovery of the decade” in a huge new find as the tomb of a society of the so-called “cloud people” was unearthed during excavations
Researchers have found what is believed to be a lost tomb from a civilisation that lived over a thousand years ago. Many had believed the society had been lost to history, but the shocking discovery has been hailed as the “discovery of the decade”.
Combing through the remote valleys of the Oaxaca region of Mexico, archaeologists were stunned when they discovered the tomb, believed to be from 1,400 years ago. Research is now ongoing to find out more about the seemingly hidden tomb and what it was meant to signify.
But now, scientists have found out more about the strange civilisation that buried their dead in the area, branding them the “cloud people”. Further information on how the group lived is now being discovered thanks to the amazing discovery.
The Zapotec people, who were also known as the Be’ena’a, had lived in the region for hundreds of years, according to the Daily Mail. As a result, their gravestones and the way they laid their dead to rest was filled with more primitive means, but was still adorned with impressive sculptures and murals honouring those they have lost.
The Be’ena’a people are believed to have had rituals in how they buried their dead, believing that their ancestors had descended from the clouds. The delicate way in which they were laid to rest showed that, in death, they believed their souls came back to the heavens in spirit form.
Impressive crypts were discovered, with statues of owls guarding the entrance, all whilst holding significance to the people at the time. Owls, it is believed, were the animal that represented both power and death.
Once inside the burial chamber, certain areas of a huge and colourful mural remain exactly as they were when they were painted. The mural depicted a host of figures making offerings, suggesting that the people who were in the chamber were incredibly important.
Zapotecs have a history stretching back some 2,500 years, having first emerged long before Christopher Columbus sailed across the ocean and discovered the continent. But after millennia of existing in the area, the society appeared to decline by 900 AD, for seemingly no reason.
Thankfully, the Zapotecs continue to exist today, with some 400,000 Mexicans and other Central American nationalities being described as ethnically Zapotec. Speaking on the discovery, Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said she was amazed by what researchers had found.
“It is the most important archaeological discovery of the last decade in Mexico due to its level of preservation and the information it provides,” she explained. Meanwhile, culture minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza, said the tomb was perfectly preserved, which helped to be discovered with such little damage.
“It is a compelling example of Mexico’s ancient grandeur, which is now being researched, protected, and shared with society,” Icaza added. She also explained that this helps to deepen the ancient culture of the Zapotecs and see how it contributed to the modern funerial practices that Mexico has today.
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