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Eerily Preserved Tomb Yields Maya King

Royal ringed by dead babies, evidence of human sacrifice

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 27, 2010 5:36 AM CDT

(Newser) – Archeologists believe they have unearthed one of the only tombs ever discovered of a founder of a Mayan dynasty. Whoever the man in the extraordinarily well-preserved 1,600-year-old Guatemalan tomb is, he tried to take a lot with him to the afterlife, the Los Angeles Times reports. The tomb under a pyramid at the El Zotz site near Tikal contains an array of treasures—as well as bowls filled with human fingers and teeth and six babies.

Archeologist aren't sure whether the infants were sacrificed to join the king, although the lead researcher says the presence of "a gruesome-looking obsidian blade gunked up with some red substance" nearby suggests that is indeed the case. The ancient royal was dressed for ritual dancing, complete with bell-like ornaments and clappers made from canine teeth.

Items line the floor of a tomb of what archaeologists believe to be a Mayan king in Guatemala.
Items line the floor of a tomb of what archaeologists believe to be a Mayan king in Guatemala.   (AP Photo/Brown University, Arturo Godoy, File)
Members of a Brown University archeology team excavate the tomb of what they believe to be a Mayan king in Guatemala.
Members of a Brown University archeology team excavate the tomb of what they believe to be a Mayan king in Guatemala.   (AP Photo/Brown University, Arturo Godoy)
This undated file photograph provided by Brown University shows a carved bust of a man which was found in the tomb of what archaeologists believe to be a Mayan king in Guatemala.
This undated file photograph provided by Brown University shows a carved bust of a man which was found in the tomb of what archaeologists believe to be a Mayan king in Guatemala.   (AP Photo/Brown University, Arturo Godoy, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
slammer
Jul 27, 2010 7:30 PM CDT
YIKE YOU FOUND ELVIS!
Nora_Kit
Jul 27, 2010 12:28 PM CDT
Don't these Archeologists ever worry about digging up some devil that will terrorize the world worse then it is already?
finkster
Jul 27, 2010 6:43 AM CDT
I hope the Mayan King is being cut to ribbons in the afterlife by those six babies.
 

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