4,000-Year-Old Maya Sculpture Unearthed in Yucatán

Mérida, Yucatán — A Maya sculpture made of limestone, with an estimated age of up to four thousand years, was discovered by specialists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in the ejido of Sierra Papacal, north of Mérida. The discovery was made as part of the archaeological salvage project for the Frente 2 Mérida–Progreso railway bypass, which is linked to the Tren Maya project.

Archaeologist Manuel Pérez Rivas, who is responsible for the find, explained that it is a piece carved in the shape of a human face, displaying features characteristic of an "elderly lord": deep eye sockets, a flat nose, and pronounced lips, elements that symbolize respect and wisdom within the pre-Hispanic worldview.

"The sculpture was located at the entrance of an enclosure, probably used for meetings or ceremonies, and its placement suggests it functioned as a marker or a welcoming figure in a space of a ritual nature," stated the INAH specialist.

He detailed that the piece measures approximately 45 centimeters in height and was found attached to the north side of an ovoid-shaped construction, measuring about 5.8 by 4.3 meters, with double walls made of limestone. The access is located to the west, oriented toward the sunlight, and features an 80-centimeter-wide entrance, flanked by large rocks serving as jambs.

According to preliminary INAH analyses, the structure corresponds to the Preclassic period (2500 BC–200 AD), and its function was not domestic, but rather ritual or communal. Furthermore, evidence of several construction and occupation phases was found, indicating a prolonged development of the site, where activities of worship and collective deliberation took place.

The excavations also revealed a 13-meter-long by 8-meter-wide esplanade, with charcoal remains associated with an ancient hearth, pointing to its ceremonial use. In the immediate surroundings, at least 15 additional structures were identified, located less than two kilometers from the Papacal 1 and San Francisco 1 archaeological sites, within the Costa Maya project.