Ancient Secrets Revealed: 14,000-Year-Old Human History in Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo, despite being one of the youngest states in Mexico along with Baja California Sur, holds evidence of human habitation dating back 14,000 years. This is according to the findings of a dozen pre-ceramic individuals discovered in submerged caves. Carmen Rojas, a researcher from the INAH Quintana Roo Center, explains that previously it was believed that the region had seen three separate migratory waves. However, recent estimates suggest that Tulum experienced a single wave of migration nearly 14,000 years ago.

The pre-ceramic individuals, typically named after the sites where they were discovered – Naharon, Muknal, Chan Hol 2, Naya, Las Palmas, Chan Hol 1, El Pit 1, Ixchel, El Pit 2, and El Templo – date between 13,000 and 8,000 years old. Rojas, an underwater archaeologist, explains that these early human groups, migrating from North America to the Mexican Caribbean, already exhibited a high degree of morphological diversity and adaptations to tropical environments, including decreased stature.

Rojas further explains that the oldest migration to the continent, known as the Paleoamerican wave, corresponds to the individuals discovered in the flooded caves. The second migratory wave, known as the Amerindian wave, likely includes contributions from the Paleoamericans. This suggests that today's Amerindians (Native Americans or indigenous peoples) are the result of interactions between these two migratory waves.