Archeologists Discover Tomb Of Ancient Maya Ruler

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Archeologists have discovered a tomb in Guatemala that may belong to one of the rulers who bridged the gap between the Olmec and Maya empires. Located approximately one hundred miles south of Guatemala City, carbon-dating indicates the burial site was likely built between 700 and 400 BC, just as the Olmec empire was beginning to decline and the Maya empire was beginning to come into its own. If the dates prove accurate, it would make it one of the oldest Maya tombs ever discovered.

According to BBC, numerous jewels and a necklace found in the tomb indicate its inhabitant possessed great wealth, and a vulture-headed figure among the property marked him as a man of great prominence and importance, most likely a chief. Consequently, he’s been named K’utz Chman, or Grandfather Vulture.

Archelogists and historians have spent years trying to learn about the forces that pushed the Olmec empire down and the Maya empire into great prominence. We’ll likely never know exactly who K’utz Chman was or what he contributed, but there’s a very strong possibility he played an extremely important role in shaping Central America.

Experts are planning to continue studying the tomb and the surrounding area. Hopefully, they’ll be able to find more clues as to the trajectory of the two civilizations. If they do, well be sure to bring you the news. If they don’t, you can bet the archeologists will keep looking in other places.

Mack Rawden
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Mack Rawden is the Editor-In-Chief of CinemaBlend. He first started working at the publication as a writer back in 2007 and has held various jobs at the site in the time since including Managing Editor, Pop Culture Editor and Staff Writer. He now splits his time between working on CinemaBlend’s user experience, helping to plan the site’s editorial direction and writing passionate articles about niche entertainment topics he’s into. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in English (go Hoosiers!) and has been interviewed and quoted in a variety of publications including Digiday. Enthusiastic about Clue, case-of-the-week mysteries, a great wrestling promo and cookies at Disney World. Less enthusiastic about the pricing structure of cable, loud noises and Tuesdays.