Mexico, August 29, 2012
During an excavation at the site of prehispanic Izapa, in the Soconusco region (Chiapas, Mexico), a sculpture representing a ton jaguar ready to pounce has just been discovered. This archaeological site, which extends over 127 hectares, houses the remains of an earlier civilization the Mayans.
According to Emiliano Gallaga Murrieta, director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico, the style used to sculpt the animal dated from approximately 2000 years. The piece was discovered in the bed of a river and was brought to the surface after more than seven hours of operations. Upon completion of the restoration process, which begins under the direction of specialist Gallaga Murrieta in order to study the iconography, this discovery could provide a better understanding of the importance of this animal symbol conveyed to the pre-Hispanic civilizations.
Monuments of Izapa, located twelve kilometers from Tapachula (on the border with Guatemala), reflect the worldview of the people who founded the religious site there are 2000 years. Some ornamental images refer to different myths transcribed in the famous “Popol Vuh”, the sacred book of the Mayas.