Archeologists in Mexico find Mayan nose guard made from human bone

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Aug 2023 22:50

The INAH said in a press release that the ornamental piece was part of a "ritual deposit" made between 600 BCE and 850 BCE.

The ancient nose ornament was recently discovered in Palenque, Mexico. (Courtesy of Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History)

The Art Newspaper on Thursday revealed that archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) made a landmark discovery of a Mayan nose ornament made of human bone in Palenque, Mexico.

The nose ornament was worn by priests during funeral ceremonies, and it displays a scene depicting K'awiil, the Mayan god of corn, fertility, and abundance.

The piece shows the profile of a man wearing a headdress, wristbands, and a beaded collar.

While a bird is seen sitting atop the headdress, his arm is adorned with the Mayan glyph ak’ab’, which represents "darkness" or "night."

The carving curves around the object, showing that the man is holding a long stick or rod in his right hand. Experts believe the piece was carved from a human distal tibia.

The INAH said in a press release that the ornamental piece was part of a "ritual deposit" made between 600 BCE and 850 BCE.

It was found in an ancient palace in Palenque which has recently been subject to conservation work by the INAH and Mexican Ministry of Culture.

The director of the Palenque Archaeological Project (PAP), Arnoldo González Cruz, said the piece was "part of the attire of the city’s elite."

"We believe that it was used to personify the deity of corn," Cruz said in the press release, noting that the artifact "is an example of Mayan artistic sensitivity, while its iconographic and conceptual message illuminates the beliefs of the ancient Palencans about the funerary cult and the ultra-earthly existence of the human being."