Emily Chan
During ongoing construction work of the Maya Train project, which involves the building of a 966-mile-long railway that crosses Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a team of archaeologists have unearthed an ancient funeral urn depicting a Mayan corn deity.
The excavations were carried out by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Mexico.
The Maya Train project has been in progress for years. It aims to connect popular beach resorts to must-see historic Maya sites that are lesser known, with the purpose of spreading more knowledge of the region’s culture and traditions.
While the area is rich with archaeological finds, and many artifacts have been uncovered as a result of the construction work, it is also one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the history of Mexico, facing challenges like tripling costs and pushback over its environmental impact.
The urn was found along Section 7 of the railway, which connects the city of Escárcega and the Chetumal Airport. Last month, Sections 1 to 4 were inaugurated, while Sections 5 to 7 won’t be open until February 2024.
The urn is made of clay and dates back to the Classic era, a period in pre-Hispanic times that spanned from 680 to 770 AD. It resembles the Paaktzatz style of vessels that were created during this time.
The vessel contains the remains of an unknown individual. It is decorated with a small figure that appears to represent the Mayan god of corn as an ear of corn in its growth stage.
The urn also features a Mayan symbol that refers to the wind and its divine characteristics. In addition, the lid of the container is adorned with a portrayal of an owl, a bird with significant symbolic meaning to the ancient Maya peoples during the Classic period. In Mayan culture, owls were considered omens for both good luck and death, serving as guides to the afterlife.
The urn depicting the corn deity was dug up alongside another vessel that had an image of an owl. The adjacent finds led archaeologists to believe that they were both originally part of an offering that had something to do with the construction of a pre-Hispanic building.
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