Recently, Mexican archaeologists found human remains in a grave that can be as old as 1,000 years old in Southern Mexico. The area where the grave was discovered is also the site for an upcoming tourist railway project. Mexico's national antiquities institute INAH reported that the body found was richly adorned. Inside the grave, vessels, ear flares and a pair of greenstones were found. Moreover, the human remains were placed facing upwards, with its head oriented towards the north. INAH also reported that certain tests would be conducted in the future to determine other characteristics, such as its precise age.
The remains were found during an ongoing archaeological salvage work taking place simultaneously as the construction of the multi-billion dollar tourist railway project, known as Maya Train. The central aim of the project is to boost tourism at the many ancient Maya sites in the region, in addition to nearby popular resort destinations like Cancun and Tulum.
The Maya Train railway project is a significant one as it is geared towards adding to the country's economic development. As a project central to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's vision, the project has allocated substantial funding to the archaeologists involved in conducting excavations so that the construction is not interrupted. This is unlike other countries where archaeologists have previously dealt with budget cuts instead.
Before this finding, skeleton remains were found near a hotel construction site located near the renowned Maya ruins of Palenque in Chiapas state. Palanque is famous for its rich history and as the home to the Maya civilisation's most significant urban centres. The findings were identified 2 kilometres from the city's core, which holds temples and a huge palace complex. Studies and research indicate that those architectural remains could potentially belong to an elite resident in the ancient Maya culture known as Lakamha.
Scholars attribute significant accomplishments in art, architecture, astronomy, and writing to the ancient Maya civilisation. Palenque, one of many ancient cities in southern Mexico and Central America, flourished between 300-900 AD.