K’oxol Ja’ II Maya settlement discovered in Yucatán

Archaeologists have identified and preserved K’oxol Ja’ II, a Maya settlement in Yucatán, discovered during salvage operations for the Tren Maya de Carga project at the Progreso Multimodal Terminal. The site covers 2,257 square meters and contains 21 structures that served primarily residential purposes.

Evidence indicates the settlement was occupied from the regional Preclassic period (approximately 400 B.C.) through the Late Classic period (450 to 900 A.D.). Unlike major ceremonial centers, K’oxol Ja’ II lacks large temples or palaces, focusing instead on domestic life and water resource management. Notable features include a cenote with a constructed rim, likely used to control and facilitate water consumption.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has established a protection zone for the site. Researchers noted an absence of human remains in the investigated areas, suggesting that the proximity to the coast and the construction of homes directly on bedrock may have made burials within the dwellings difficult.