Maya ritual objects discovered during Tren Maya archaeological salvage

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) are analyzing ritual objects recovered during the archaeological salvage of the Maya Train's first section. The findings include three stingray spines and one catfish spine discovered in funerary contexts near the Usumacinta River in Tenosique, Tabasco.

Researchers are investigating whether these items were used in ancient Maya autosacrifice rituals, a practice spanning from 500 B.C. to 1520 A.D. Such rituals involved the voluntary shedding of blood to appease supernatural beings or for purification. In the Southern Lowlands, stingray spines were common instruments for these ceremonies. One recovered stingray spine fragment measures approximately three centimeters and shows signs of sediment pressure and abrasive contact. The objects were originally located in June 2021 within a three-hectare area during work on the 226-kilometer stretch between Palenque, Chiapas, and Escárcega, Campeche.