Archaeologists excavating construction sites along the New Maya Train Route in Mexico have found a rare statue of the Mayan god K’awiil. The works are part of a salvage mission prior to the construction of the railway to ensure that ancient artifacts and monuments in the area are not accidentally damaged.
The stone idol is dedicated to the Mayan god of power, abundance, and prosperity, and is commonly identified by its large eyes, upturned snout, and a stone celt protruding from its forehead.
Although this particular pre-Hispanic deity was more often depicted in paintings, relief sculptures and Dresden And Maya codex from Mexico, in this case its rare three-dimensional image was found atop an urn.
“This discovery is very important because to date there are few sculptural representations of the god K’awiil. We only know of three in Tikal, Guatemala, and this is one of the first to appear in Mexican territory,” said Diego Prieto Hernández, director general of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. from Mexico.
The find was made in Section 7 of the Maya Train, an intercity railroad that circles the Yucatán Peninsula and is expected to be completed next year. It has not been without its detractors who say it is disruptive to the environment, culture and local communities.
Other discoveries that have been made during previous rescue missions by archaeologists in sections 1-5 of the railroad include ships, pottery fragments, bones and the foundations of ancient structures belonging to the Mesoamerican Maya civilization. . These objects are now cleaned and classified in a laboratory dedicated to Chetumal.
“All this work should lead to the analysis of vast information, the preparation of academic reports and a major international research symposium on the Mayan civilization, which will be organized for this year,” said Prieto Hernández, who also promised the construction of a new museum in Mérida to house the precious finds.
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