Archaeologists Find Lid of Ancient Vault With Snake Symbol at Maya Palace

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Mayan artifact featuring a depiction of a serpent in Mexico.

The stone block was used by the Maya as the cover of a vault, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History said. Researchers found the stone artifact in the Acropolis, or royal palace, of Ek’ Balam, an ancient Mayan city in the municipality of Temozón, Yucatán state.

The site was inhabited for more than a thousand years, thriving during the Late Classic period (A.D. 600 to 900), which marked the high point of Mayan culture.

The Mayan civilization dominated what is now southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and the western areas of El Salvador and Honduras for more than 3,000 years until the era of Spanish colonization.

The ancient Maya were notable for creating the only fully developed writing system in pre-Columbian America, their striking architecture and art, and their advanced calendar, mathematics and astronomical system.

The largest structure at Ek’ Balam is the Acropolis, whose entrance resembles the mouth of a monster with enormous fangs. The Acropolis contains numerous rooms—more than 70 have been found to date. It is among the largest constructions in Mesoamerica, the historical and cultural region that extends across most of Central America and the southern parts of North America.

It was at the Acropolis that researchers discovered the stone vault lid. This artifact is the seventh pained vault cover to be recovered from this archaeological site over the past year.

Before this, several others have been found. These have provided experts with helpful information, such as the names of local rulers, as well as the dates when rooms in the Acropolis were built.

The recently discovered stone block features a design painted in red. The design consists of a U-shaped symbol, which could represent a cave with underground water—a possible allusion to the underworld. The snake appears to be entering this U-shaped area.

The head and part of the body of the reptile are visible. The animal could be associated with the serpentine foot of the Mayan deity K’awiil, according to researchers.

The discovery of the vault cover was announced at a press conference where the progress of work on Section 4 of the Tren Maya project was presented. The train project is an almost 1,000-mile-long intercity railway, scheduled to start operating in December. The railway traverses Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the heart of the ancient Mayan civilization, which is rich in antiquities.

Tren Maya is one of the largest and most controversial infrastructure projects in the history of Mexico. It aims to bring tourists from the region’s popular beach resorts to lesser-known inland locations, including historic Mayan sites, that represent some of the poorest parts of southern Mexico.

While thousands of ancient Mayan artifacts and structures have been uncovered during work for the project, critics say it places others at risk of damage or destruction, as has already occurred. Some have also raised environmental concerns.