A group of divers, speleologists, and anthropologists from Yucatan made the incredible discovery of 28 skulls that had been submerged for thousands of years in the depths of the Wolpoch cenote, located in the municipality of Homún.
The discovery was announced by speleologist Sergio Grosjean, who stated that it was made at a depth of 30 meters as part of a scientific project focused on exploring the submerged cavities in the body of water.
Grosjean indicated that out of this finding, 13 skulls underwent studies, one of which underwent a facial reconstruction process to determine the appearance of the ancient Maya people who inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula long before the arrival of the Spanish.
Based on the study, the researchers concluded that each of the skulls belonged to young adults between the ages of 21 and 35, with nine being male and four female.
The speleologist added that among the most intriguing data from the studied skulls was that one of them did not correspond to Maya’s bone remains. Instead, based on its characteristics, it was determined to be of African descent.
Furthermore, he stated that the skull that underwent a facial reconstruction turned out to be a Maya man. Carbon dating estimated that he lived in the Yucatan Peninsula around the year 1448 AD.
He explained that this is the first facial reconstruction based on a skull recovered from the depths of a Yucatan cenote.
The original piece of the facial reconstruction is on display at the Wolpoch cenote, located within the Geohydrological Ring of Cenotes Reserve in the central area of the state of Yucatan.
Fernando Rosado, Enrique Soneranes, Julio Lara, Sandra Quiñones, and Agustín García also participated in the research and reconstruction process.
TYT Newsroom
