Burial of ancient settlers found in Mexico City

A 2,400-year-old burial containing the human remains of 10 individuals which belonged to the first settlers of Mexico's basin was found by researchers of the National Institute of Anthropology and History ( INAH ) at an archeological dig site in the grounds of the Pontifical University of Mexico .

According to the INAH, this is the first burial discovered in the area to contain such a large amount of individuals from the Preclassic period.

The physical anthropologists Lucía López and Sonia Rodríguez explained that they have managed to identify so far 10 different individuals, most of which are young adults – male and female – although there are also human remains of a child between the ages of three to five, and a baby boy of a few months old.

According to the experts, the bodies were placed directly on the ground and “intertwined,” which seem to point to some sort of ritual .

Other artifacts were also found together with the bodies, such as earthenware pots and stones which were placed in some of the hands of the individuals.

The archeologist Alejandro Meraz registered the existence of a Preclassic village in Tlalpan in 2006, and since then several excavations have taken place in the area, revealing more information about the first settlers of the south of Mexico City.

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