Mexico’s archaeological landscape has yielded ancient human skeletal remains, offering direct insights into the lives, migration, adaptation, and cultural practices of early inhabitants. The study of these bones allows researchers to reconstruct narratives of ancient populations, from their physical characteristics to their societal structures. These findings continually reshape understanding of human history in Mexico and the Americas.
Key Discoveries
One significant finding is Naia, a nearly complete skeleton of a teenage female, discovered in 2007 within the Hoyo Negro (Black Hole) cenote in the Sistema Sac Actun, Yucatán Peninsula. Dated to approximately 12,000 to 13,000 years ago, Naia is one of the oldest and most intact human skeletons in the Americas. Her discovery, with genetic testing linking her to modern indigenous peoples, has contributed to discussions about the origins of the first Americans.
Another notable find is the Woman of Naharon, whose remains were found in the Naharon section of the Sistema Naranjal, an underwater cave system near Tulum. Carbon-dated to about 13,600 years ago, she is considered one of the oldest documented human finds in the Americas. Her skeletal structure has been noted for its potential affinity with people from South Asia, raising questions about early migration routes.
Beyond the Yucatán’s submerged caves, skeletal remains have also emerged from major archaeological sites. At Teotihuacan, a prominent ancient city in central Mexico, discoveries include a woman buried in the Barrio Oaxaqueño around 350-400 A.D., notable for her extensive body modifications, including pyrite stone inserts in her teeth and an elongated skull. Discoveries at Teotihuacan also include evidence of human sacrifices within the Pyramid of the Moon, featuring bound individuals surrounded by offerings, and burials of adults and children in a recently unearthed village dating to A.D. 450-650. Mayan sites also contribute to the record, such as the Puyil cave in Tabasco, where three skeletons, one estimated to be 7,000 years old, were found, revealing a transition from hunting to a more settled lifestyle.
Insights from Ancient Remains
Study of ancient skeletons provides details about past populations in Mexico. Analysis of dental remains can reveal dietary habits. The Chan Hol 3 skeleton, a woman who died around age 30, showed tooth cavities, indicating a diet high in sugar. Research on skeletal samples across Mesoamerica indicates a transition from diets of wild plants, fruits, nuts, and hunted animals to an increasing reliance on maize, with some individuals showing maize consumption as early as 4,700 years ago.
Skeletal pathologies offer clues about health conditions. The Chan Hol 3 skeleton also exhibited pitting and deformations on her skull, consistent with a bacterial infection. Evidence of healed fractures on Naia’s forearm suggests traumatic events during her life. Studies of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican skeletal samples suggest an increase in biological stress, joint degeneration, and dental issues as populations became denser and more urbanized.
Beyond physical health, skeletal remains illuminate cultural practices. Cranial modification, the intentional shaping of a child’s skull, was widespread in Mesoamerica, with the earliest examples in central Mexico dating back 7,000 years. This practice, achieved by binding a child’s head with boards or using restrictive cradles, likely denoted social status or ritual significance, such as emulating the maize god. Dental modifications, like the pyrite inserts and serpentine prosthetic found in the Teotihuacan woman, highlight distinct aesthetic and cultural norms. Burial rituals varied, from intentional placement in cenotes as offerings, sometimes with sacrifice, to interments beneath residential floors in Maya sites or in organized burial bundles within mortuary caves.
Discovery and Preservation
Many ancient human skeletons in Mexico are found in unique archaeological settings, particularly the vast network of submerged caves and cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula. These water-filled sinkholes, once dry caves during the last ice age, became submerged as sea levels rose around 8,000 years ago. The underwater environment of these cenotes has contributed to the exceptional preservation of delicate organic materials, including human remains, that would degrade elsewhere.
The discovery and excavation of these submerged sites present challenges, requiring specialized cave-diving archaeologists and advanced underwater techniques. For example, Naia was found about 8 meters underwater, half a kilometer into a cave system. Divers use careful photographic documentation to create 3D models before any remains are moved. The presence of ancient ocher mines within these submerged caves suggests that early inhabitants intentionally entered these complex and hazardous environments, seeking the iron-rich red pigment for decoration or rituals, rather than merely falling in.
Dating these ancient remains involves scientific methods. Radiocarbon dating is applied, though collagen degradation in bones due to saltwater can complicate its accuracy. In such cases, uranium-thorium dating of calcite mineral deposits that formed on the bones can provide precise age estimations, as seen with the Chan Hol 3 skeleton. Once recovered, the long-term preservation of these fragile remains is overseen by institutions like Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which approves and carries out conservation efforts to protect these irreplaceable historical records for future study.