A tomb of an Aztec king has never been found, but archaeologist Leonardo Lopez Lujan and others working at Templo Mayar in the middle of Mexico City believe that they may have uncovered just that.
As explained in National Geographic News, an enormous stone statue carved in the likeness of an Aztec goddess was discovered nearby in 2006. Since then, the dig has been the focus of intense interest.
Recently, an elaborately-decorated canine skeleton was uncovered close to a sealed entrance. The skeleton was decorated with precious stones and gold. This find is significant because the Aztec, along with many other Mesoamerican peoples, believed that the dead may be escorted over to the afterlife by a dog. Indeed, dog skeletons have been found as a part of many other Mesoamerican burial sites. DNA testing will be done to determine whether this skeleton is in fact a dog, or is merely a Mexican wolf.
Also found nearby was a stone box which held a golden statue of an eagle, flint knives used in sacrifices, and shells.
A number of unbroken seals were discovered, leading archaeologists to speculate that they may have found a tomb containing a number of occupants, as the entrance may have been sealed each time another one was entombed. The ornate decoration on the canine skeleton found would seem to indicate that any tomb found there would belong to someone important, likely royal. It is thought that this all may indicate that the tomb belongs to a king, and possibly his successors. The fact that the seals are intact also suggests that whatever is inside may have escaped looting.
What might be found inside? If this is a royal tomb, there would be stone or ceramic jars containing the ashes of the king and his servants, as well as personal items and offerings from the funeral rites. The room itself would probably be rather small.
Unfortunately, any further investigation at the site must now be postponed, as rainy season has begun there, causing the water table to rise. Archaeologists on site can now only try to imagine what lies behind the sealed entrance, and wait for dry weather to proceed.
Archaeologists working at the Hohle Fels Cave dig in the Ach Valley, 140 km west of Munich Germany, have discovered clear evidence that music was a part of Paleolithic life, when modern humans colonized Europe over 35,000 years ago.
