29 ancient tombs found in Mexico

Source: IRNA (15 March 2007)
http://tinyurl.com/3385lg

29 ancient tombs found in Mexico

Mexican archaeologists found more than 100 bodies in 29 different
pre-Hispanic tombs dating back about 2,000 years in Nayarit. Raúl
Barrera, who leads the archaeological project for the National
Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH, said most of the
remains belonged to women between the ages of 35 and 40.
Archaeologists have not yet been able to determine which civilization
the remains are from, although they know the find dates back to the
period 200 BCE to 600 CE.
The tombs - located in vertical chambers - were in a type of
burial ground found in Nayarit, Colima, Michoacán, Zacatecas and
parts of Jalisco, but they have not been found in Mesoamerica. The
tombs have, however, been found in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela,
Barrera said, noting that there may have been cultural and trade
links between the regions. Artifacts from these countries have been
discovered on the coast of Nayarit, he said. This type of tomb may
have signified some type of a "return to the womb of Mother Earth,"
the archaeologist said.
The content of the tombs varied depending on the social status
of the individual, since "they held the belief that in making the
crossing to the next life the dead person needed certain items for
the journey," Barrera said. Archaeologists found figurines of
warriors, ball players, pregnant women and animals in the tombs, as
well as vessels and various types of jewelry. Barrera said the sites
contained only burial grounds and no dwellings, which may have been
located on mountains or other locations at higher altitudes. Of the
29 tombs, 28 were found at the La Playa site and the other was at Las
Lagunillas. Only 12 were still intact, the others having been looted
at some point. The actual digging and recovery work lasted four years.