Ancient Maya ritual: Elite individuals' teeth placed in cave far from burial sites
By
Chris Simms
Summary
Archaeologists have discovered that elite Maya people during the Classic period (AD 250-900) had their teeth removed and placed in a cave far from their tombs. The teeth, found in a cave in Belize, belonged to dozens of important Maya individuals buried elsewhere. This practice may have been part of a ritual to venerate ancestors or ensure their safe passage to the underworld. The finding sheds light on Maya beliefs about lineage, power, and the afterlife, where the dead played an important role in legitimizing political and religious authority.
Source
bskyAncient Maya ritual: Elite individuals' teeth placed in cave far from burial sitesnewscientist.comKey quotes
· 5 pulledThe teeth of some important members of the Maya civilisation were removed and kept in a cave far from their tombs.
It may have been done to venerate ancestors or ensure they made it to the underworld.
During the Classic period (AD 250-900), Maya communities lived in cities spread across what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and northern Honduras.
They spoke many languages, but were unified by a political and religious system in which lineage and rituals legitimised power.
As such, the dead were important, and the living often kept the remains of many deceased relatives.
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