Detail

The find was made during the construction of a sewage system in Pozo de Ybarra, in the western Mexican state of Nayarit, according to a statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

The burial contained a complete skeleton, the arrangement of the bones of which corresponded to the natural one – that is, the body was probably deposited in an undecomposed form. Also nearby were the human bones of other individuals, deliberately arranged so as not to conform to the natural arrangement of bones in the body. They were divided into different categories: Long bones such as femur, tibia, radius and ulna were carefully placed in a specific sector. Similarly, seven skulls were deliberately grouped in another area, some even stacked on top of each other.

Analysis showed that all the skulls belonged to men of different ages. Claudia Servin Rosas, who led the excavations, thinks: The burial may have been part of a family burial ritual in which long-dead men turned into skeletons were reburied to mark the founding of a new settlement.. However, there is no other record of similar practices in the region.

Researchers determined that the bones were buried at the same time and that the burial rituals resembled similar practices during the Amapa period, which lasted from 500 to 850 AD. Ceramic pots and figurines found in the area also helped archaeologists connect the graves to the same period.

INAH is working with city officials to preserve the remains for further research. The bones are currently being preserved for detailed analysis.