Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have uncovered a Paaktzatz style funerary urn depicting the Maya corn god.
The discovery was made during works on Section 7 of the Mayan Train which connects Chetumal Airport to the Escárcega stations in Mexico.
The urn was found alongside a similar vessel, suggesting that they were founding offerings associated with the construction of a pre-Hispanic building.
According to a press announcement by INAH, the funerary urn has an anthropomorphic figure made from pastillage that represents the Maya corn god, while the lid has a representation of an owl which also appears on the other vessel.
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A spokesperson from INAH said: “In Maya iconography, the owl was considered a bird of omen and a symbol of war during the Classic period, as recorded on Paaktzatz vessels found in the Río Bec area and date from AD 680 to 770.”
The second vessel is decorated with ornamentation that replicates the thorns from the ceiba tree, a revered sacred tree known as Yax Che (meaning “Green Tree” or “First Tree”). The ceiba tree was also a symbol of the universe in Maya mythology, signifying the route of communication between the three levels of earth.
Excavations within the Section 7 of the Maya train has so far revealed over 27,941 structures, 125,880 ceramic fragments, and 141 human burials.
Header Image Credit : INAH
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