Researchers in Tulum, Mexico, happened upon the first ever Maya cave burial site known in the region in December.
The cave was uncovered within the walls of the Tulum Archaeological Zone in the coastal Maya city of Quintana Roo, according to Ancient Origins. A team was reportedly working to clear the area for a new visitor path through the site when they uncovered a wealth of human and animal remains, as well as other artifacts related to the funerary process.
The entrance to the cave was reportedly covered by a large stone, suggesting someone didn’t want people digging up their dead, but here we are. The burials were also between two larger structures: The Temple of Columns and the Temple of Halach Uinic, right in the middle of the site, according to Ancient Origins. Within the cave were reportedly two small chambers and the burial places of at least eight people, predominantly adults.
Footage of the site was shared online by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Animal skeletons were also found in the human burials, Ancient Origins reported. Initial analysis suggests the bones belong to multiple species of birds, reptiles, fish, mollusks and amphibians, according to the outlet. They reportedly lay alongside a wealth of ceramics, dated to roughly 1200 to 1500 A.D. (RELATED: Ancient Mayan Cities And ‘Super Highways’ Revealed In Shocking Study)
The freakiest part of the discovery was the presence of an individual who was literally cut in half, with half of their body inside and half outside of the cave system. Researchers suggest this individual might have become trapped while trying to access the burial site, according to Ancient Origins.