A major discovery has been reported by archaeologists in the Yucatan Peninsula. A team of experts has discovered some astonishing cave paintings deep in a remote jungle. The find is exciting archaeologists who believe that it is of great importance. It is also leading to a debate concerning the nature of the paintings and what are their origin. The paintings are believed to be Maya but could come from an earlier culture, and this is raising wider questions about the history of the Yucatan region, according to Ancient Origins magazine.
The Yucatan
The Yucatan has traditionally been associated with the great Maya civilization. They occupied the area for centuries and built a great civilization in the Yucatan and beyond. They flourished until the arrival in the area of the Spanish Conquistadors, but many of their descendants still live in the area. This culture produced many great works of pictorial art, that are found in museums all over the world. However, it is believed that other cultures also inhabited the Yucatan before the Maya migrated to the area.
The Cave Paintings in the Yucatan cavern
The paintings were found by a team of archaeologists, led by Sergio Grosjean Abimerhi, from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The paintings were found in a cavern at a depth of 12 meters (37 feet) in the east of Yucatan in a jungle area. There are approximately 3000 caves in the Yucatan and many are believed to contain archaeological artifacts or paintings. The cave paintings found by Grosjean and his colleagues have been called ‘the most significant of its kind in the state’.
The paintings are on a section of rock that is roughly 15 meters (49 foot) wide and 5 meters (15 foot) high. The paintings include sets of handprints. There are a series of images, including geometric figures, a man, and some animals and birds. The paintings are in a variety of colors and their paint was made from local material such as red earth. According to The Archaeology News Network the experts “don’t yet know what these cave paintings mean nor to what period they belong.”
Text: Ancient Origins
