CHIAPAS, MEXICO—According to a statement released by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), preparations for the construction of visitor resources have uncovered a stone workshop and a cemetery at Palenque, a Maya city in southern Mexico. Tools for hunting, food preparation, and ritual sacrifices were constructed in the workshop between A.D. 600 and 850. More than 2,000 artifacts were recovered from the workshop, said Diego Prieto Hernández, director general of INAH. In the cemetery, researchers uncovered the remains of a woman who died around A.D. 800. Her remains show cranial deformation and inlays of precious stones in her teeth. The burial could offer insights into the role of women in ancient Maya society, Hernández explained. To read about a brilliantly decorated burial at Palenque, go to “Inside a Painted Tomb.”

Source: archaeology.org