Ancient digs: 1st Americans may have started life in Hokkaido

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16234553

Confirmed: New Mexico Footprints Rewrite Timeline of Humans in America

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/confirmed-new-mexico-footprints-rewrite-timeline-of-humans-in-america/ar-AA1HhqKh

(MY NOTE; I had the same skepticism about the dates of this discovery until Vance Halliday’s study. He presents good evidence that the dates are for real. There will still be a lot of research on those dates.)

How Ancient Civilizations Used Parrots in Ritual Life

https://colombiaone.com/2025/12/29/ancient-puebloans-parrots/

Scientists Rebuild Face Of Ancient American After 8,500 Years: The Results Are Jaw-Dropping

Zapotec tomb hailed as most important discovery in Mexico in last decade

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/01/zapotec-tomb-hailed-as-most-important-discovery-in-mexico-in-last-decade/156818

Gargantuan 500-Year-Old Jug Uncovered In Mexico Is A Fermentation Jar For Corn Beer

https://allthatsinteresting.com/mexico-guachimontones-fermentation-jars

Technology helps Mexican archaeologists find new structures at El Tajin archaeological zone

https://artdaily.com/news/61508/Technology-helps-Mexican-archaeologists-find-new-structures-at-El-Tajin-archaeological-zone

Archaeological findings in Xiutetelco reveal the significance of a pre-Hispanic ceremonial and commercial hub

Archaeologists Discover Lost City on Guerrero’s Costa Chica: A Window into Ancient Mesoamerica

Ancient 200-foot scorpion-shaped mound in Mexico may have served as a solstice observatory

https://archaeologymag.com/2025/10/ancient-scorpion-shaped-mound-in-mexico/

Trove of 1,000-year-old skeletons — an unprecedented discovery — unearthed in Mexico

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trove-1-000-old-skeletons-161008413.html

Ancient secrets unearthed: Over 800-year-old burials rewrite Izúcar’s pre-hispanic story

https://artdaily.com/news/182509/Ancient-secrets-unearthed–Over-800-year-old-burials-rewrite-Iz-car-s-pre-hispanic-story

50 cm. vertical shaft leads archaeologist to hidden cave, secret burial site in Mexico

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-859886

Humans Have Been Perfecting Avocados for 7,500 Years

Unfired clay sculptures created over a thousand years ago in a Mexican cave by an unknown culture

Square-Shaped Skulls Discovered in Northern Mexico

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/skull-modification-mexico-00102352

Vase Fragment in Mexico Suggests Unexpected Cultural Exchange in Mesoamerican Communities

https://greekreporter.com/2025/10/22/vase-cultural-exchange-mesoamerican-communities/

The World’s Oldest Mummy Just Cracked Open a Century of Wrong History—And Rewrote Who We Thought We Were

https://archaeologymag.com/2025/12/ear-piercing-was-a-key-childhood-rite-in-maya-society/embed/#?secret=olOt5zmrBF#?secret=9IPCKqUlxn

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/centuries-old-trophy-head-from-peru-reveals-individual-survived-to-adulthood-despite-disabling-birth-defect

https://phys.org/news/2025-11-archaeologists-unique-mosaic-patolli-board.html

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/chichen-itza-hidden-chambers-00102396

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/maya-cosmogram

https://journalsofindia.com/history/maya-or-teotihuacan-new-altar-discovery-at-tikal-reveals-startling-secrets-of-ancient-rituals-and-rivalry-51861/

Ancient Peruvian Trophy Head Reveals Rare Cleft Lip Condition

https://colombiaone.com/2025/12/10/ancient-peruvian-trophy-head-reveals-rare-cleft-lip-condition/

Archaeologists find 5,000-year-old noblewoman in Peru, exposing the hidden power of women in Caral

Huge Ancient Hunting Traps Revealed in Andean Highlands

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/chacu-hunting-traps-chile-00102218

Ancient temple could reveal secrets of a lost society that predates the Inca Empire

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/science/ancient-temple-discovery-bolivia-tiwanaku

This Stunning 3D Mural of a Giant Bird Could Be the Key to Unlocking Ancient Civilizations

https://indiandefencereview.com/this-stunning-3d-mural-of-a-giant-bird-could-be-the-key-to-unlocking-ancient-civilizations/embed/#?secret=LwRz29SEC2#?secret=xzRJYBMJST

Archaeologists reveal lost 5,000-year-old temple in Peru, unlocking secrets of ancient Andean spirituality

https://journalsofindia.com/history/archaeologists-reveal-lost-5000-year-old-temple-in-peru-unlocking-secrets-of-ancient-andean-spirituality-51779/

Scientists may finally have an explanation for the centuries-old 5,200 mystery holes in the Peruvian Andes

https://journalsofindia.com/history/archaeologists-reveal-lost-5000-year-old-temple-in-peru-unlocking-secrets-of-ancient-andean-spirituality-51779/

Discovery at Oldest Observatory in the Americas Pushes Back Origins of Peruvian Astronomy

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/chankillo-observatory-peru-00102339

Archaeologists find 5,000-year-old noblewoman in Peru, exposing the hidden power of women in Caral

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/chacu-hunting-traps-chile-00102218

Oldest city in the Americas left a warning in clay 4,000 years ago, now we know what it says

https://www.earth.com/news/oldest-city-in-america-left-a-warning-in-clay-4000-years-ago-caral-city-walls/

Peru: Moche palace find reveals presence of ruling elite

https://andina.pe/ingles/noticia-peru-moche-palace-found-reveals-presence-of-ruling-elite-1042074.aspx

https://andina.pe/ingles/noticia-peru-carved-heads-found-in-ollape-are-the-first-discovered-in-their-original-context-1040728.aspx

https://arkeonews.net/archaeologists-discover-rare-3800-year-old-clay-figurine-of-frogs-at-perus-vichama-site/

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/strange-tomb-in-peru-holds-skeletons-of-people-with-ropes-around-their-necks-hands-tied-behind-their-backs-archaeologists-say

https://arkeonews.net/ancient-warrior-vessel-discovered-at-chankillo-the-oldest-solar-observatory-in-the-americas/

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-868967

https://www.zmescience.com/science/archaeology/these-colombian-mummies-were-buried-with-death-masks-fused-to-their-faces-now-scientists-digitally-reconstruct-their-faces-after-500-years/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/ecuador-cave-paintings-0022385

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-colorful-mural-of-stars-and-fish-is-the-first-of-its-kind-found-on-the-coast-of-northern-peru-180987144/

Stable isotope analysis shows shifting subsistence in ancient Andean civilization of Vichama

https://phys.org/news/2025-08-stable-isotope-analysis-shifting-subsistence.html

Rare 1,600-Year-Old Nazca Penguin Vessel Unveils Ancient Civilization’s Connection to Peru’s Coastal Wildlife

https://indiandefencereview.com/rare-1600-year-old-nazca-penguin-vessel/embed/#?secret=ApWWveIRhQ#?secret=XNAk1hv03v

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-treasure-filled-tomb-belonging-to-the-first-known-ruler-of-a-maya-city-in-belize-180986972/

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/02/new-discoveries-at-ekʼ-balam-during-conservation-works/146296

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/foundation-stone-maya-coba-woman-ruler-2704521

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/maya-dresden-codex-predict-eclipses-study-2705212

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/05/science/maya-temple-depict-cosmos

Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Maya Factory Hidden Underwater

https://theyucatantimes.com/2025/11/ancient-maya-face-found-in-sierra-papacal-yucatan

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/7-year-old-maya-child-had-green-jade-tooth-gem-new-study-finds

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/maya-blue-belize-0022331

https://theyucatantimes.com/2025/11/ancient-maya-face-found-in-sierra-papacal-yucatan

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/lost-maya-city-sak-bahlan-0022296

https://stonecenter.tulane.edu/ancient-maya-population-may-have-topped-16-million-tulane-research-shows

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ancient-maya-end-droughts-archaeology-1234749367/

Texas archaeologists uncover treasure-filled tomb of ancient Mayan ruler in Belize

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/archaeologists-find-ancient-tomb-maya-city-caracol-belize/

Chopped-up skulls found in Maya ‘blood cave’ were a ritual offering for a good harvest, archaeologists suggest

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/chopped-up-skulls-found-in-maya-blood-cave-were-a-ritual-offering-for-a-good-harvest-archaeologists-suggest

Ancient Maya tattooing tools identified for the first time in Belize cave

https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ancient-maya-tattooing-tools-belize.html

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/secret-of-ancient-maya-blue-pigment-revealed-from-cracks-and-clues-on-a-dozen-bowls-from-chichen-itza

DNA shows surprising links between Native American and Siberian languages

Massive Fields Where Native American Farmers Grew Corn, Beans and Squash 1,000 Years Ago Discovered in Michigan

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/massive-field-where-native-american-farmers-grew-corn-beans-and-squash-1000-years-ago-discovered-in-michigan-180986758/

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/1-500-year-old-tomb-in-peru-holds-human-sacrifices-including-strangled-son-next-to-fathers-remains-genetic-analysis-reveals

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/06/ancient-garden-cities-amazon-indigenous-technologies-archaeology-lost-civilisations-environment-terra-preta?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: unknown-2.jpeg

https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2024/08/8-large-pre-hispanic-shell-mounds-up-to-12-meters-high-found-on-a-mexican-island/



https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/11/research-suggests-that-tetelihtic-could-be-the-birthplace-of-the-totonac-culture/153817


https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-838507


https://mexiconewsdaily.com/culture/skeletons-found-near-mexico-city-ancient-women-warriors/


https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/study-why-aztec-death-whistles-sound-like-human-screams/


https://archaeologymag.com/2024/11/pre-hispanic-dock-and-navigable-canal-in-mexico-city/


https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-native-americans-mysterious-use-lethally-toxic-fish-2006707

https://greekreporter.com/2025/01/29/ancient-ceremonial-road-new-mexico/

https://www.newsweek.com/dna-10000-year-old-spirit-cave-mummy-reveals-secrets-native-american-history-1208975

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/11-000-year-old-settlement-in-canada-could-rewrite-history-of-indigenous-civilizations-in-north-america

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-radiocarbon-dating-artifacts-bones-north.html

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/nation-world/national/article296456939.html

Pyramid of the Moon Marked Astronomical Orientation Axis of Teōtīhuacān

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/07/pyramid-of-the-moon-marked-astronomical-orientation-axis-of-teotihuacan/152603

Mike Ruggeri’s Teotihuacan News

https://mikeruggeristeotihuacannews.tumblr.com

Edit 

Archaeobotanical research in Vichama

AI research uncovers 300 ancient etchings in Peru’s Nazca desert

https://www.rawstory.com/ai-research-uncovers-300-ancient-etchings-in-peru-s-nazca-desert/

Painted Throne Room of Powerful Ancient Female Leader Discovered 

https://www.newsweek.com/painted-throne-room-powerful-ancient-female-leader-discovered-1961523

76 Child Sacrifice Victims to Energize the Fields Uncovered in Peru

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/an-offering-to-energize-the-fields-76-child-sacrifice-victims-all-with-their-chests-cut-open-unearthed-at-burial-site-in-peru

The Origin of the Inca Girl Sacrificed on the Quehuar 

Genomes of Ancient Easter Islanders Reveal Resilience and Pre-European Contacts with Americas

https://www.sci.news/genetics/ancient-easter-islander-genomes-13254.html

Discoveries at Licapa II allow for a better understanding of the daily life of the Moche culture

Archaeologists Unearth 500-Year-Old Skeletons of Inca Toddlers with Smallpox

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/archaeologists-unearth-500-year-old-skeletons-of-inca-toddlers-with-smallpox/

Archaeologists Find Ancient Temple and Theater in Peru

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-archaeologists-ancient-temple-theater-peru.html

Ancient Peruvian Temple Ruins Unearthed by Archaeologists

https://latinamericanpost.com/science-technology/ancient-peruvian-temple-ruins-unearthed-by-archaeologists/embed/#?secret=GVRFhvsIt7#?secret=5OdyFKNJ5K

Technology Unveils Secrets of Ancient Peruvian Adobe City

https://latinamericanpost.com/science-technology/technology-unveils-secrets-of-ancient-peruvian-adobe-city/embed/#?secret=sbR1nnqZ9Y#?secret=6IIpGPcTCf

Archaeologists Uncover Burial Site of Ancient Cult that Revered Water

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/burial-site-peru-ancient-cult-temple-b2600011.html

Workers Uncover Eight Mummies and Pre-Inca Objects While Expanding the Gas Network in Peru

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-workers-uncover-mummies-pre-inca-gas.html

In Ek’ Balam, Yucatán, They Discover Ancient Chultún Reused as a Burial Chamber

October 24, 2023

Palatial 1,500-year-old Maya structure unearthed in Mexico

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/palatial-1500-year-old-maya-structure-unearthed-in-mexico

October 24, 2023

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/09/maya-tomb-with-funerary-offerings-found-during-hotel-construction/148713

October 24, 2023

Ancient Maya Canoe Found In Mexican Cave Could Mark Portal To The Underworld

https://www.iflscience.com/ancient-maya-canoe-found-in-mexican-cave-could-mark-portal-to-the-underworld-69705

October 24, 2023

Stone Knives Discovered in Ancient Maya City Near Sacrificial Altar

https://www.newsweek.com/stone-knives-discovered-ancient-maya-city-near-sacrifical-altar-1812025

October 23, 2023

Archaeologists Find Lid of Ancient Vault With Snake Symbol at Maya Palace

https://www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-find-lid-ancient-vault-snake-symbol-maya-palace-1827482

October 23, 2023

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER MAYA DISH DEPICTING WAHYIS SPIRIT

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/08/archaeologists-uncover-maya-dish-depicting-wahyis-spirit/148358

Scarlet Secrets: Scientists Uncover Ancient Breeding of Scarlet Macaws

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Offerings of Anthropomorphic Figurines Found at Aztec Templo Mayor

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Zapotec ‘entrance to underworld’ discovered under Catholic church in Mexico

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https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/zapotec-underworld-entrance-mexico-180982552/

Mike Ruggeri’s Zapotecs
http://mikeruggeriszapotecs.tumblr.co
m

6 burials found on same site as Young Ruler of Amajac II statue

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Ancient Human Remains With Heart-Shaped Skulls Discovered

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER TEOTIHUACANO VILLAGE IN MEXICO CITY

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Archaeologists Uncover Olmec Ceremonial Center

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INAH confirms discovery of Aztec settlement in Guerrero

The new site in the Costa Grande region is believed to be the lost city of Apancalecan, whose location has long eluded archeologists. 

Archaeologists in Peru Used A.I. to Discover Ancient Geoglyphs of Killer Whales, Two-Headed Snakes, and Other Creatures Carved Into Land

July 18, 2023

Relationship of sacrificial deposits 111 and 176 with the Templo Mayor to the god Huitzilopochtli

June 1, 2023

https://www.inah.gob.mx/boletines/entrelazan-las-fuentes-historicas-y-los-hallazgos-arqueologicos-recientes-para-indagar-en-el-mito-de-huitzilopochtli

Peruvian archaeologists unearth pre-Incan teenage mummy with preserved skin and hair

May 10, 2023

Euronews has the report here:

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/04/26/peruvian-archaeologist-unearth-pre-incan-teenage-mummy-with-preserved-skin-and-hair

Wichita State professor uncovers forgotten native nation that could ‘revolutionize’ history of the Great Plains

May 10, 2023

Wichita.edu has the report here;

https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews/news/2023/03-march/quivira_3.php?fbclid=IwAR08lU637CIqJdpso_JIFsW-exzO9r6sK7MlRrQOFXCboTCRQG703-c7Vjs

Rare Sculpture of the Maya God K’awil Uncovered While Constructing the New Maya Train

May 9, 2023

Mexiconewsdaily has the report here;

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/rare-statue-mayan-god-kawiil-found-maya-train/?fbclid=IwAR2lsdjrUvLQnsbeCn8rgjfITAP9G0a8oV5FoWfVDxTDsvaY0xkRvhMGt8Q

A New Theory on the Number of Female Skulls on the Great Skull Rack at Tenochtitlan

April 17, 2023

INAH archaeologists have surmised that the large number of female remains on the great skull rack in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan are related to the origin myth of Huitzilopochtli. The skull rack is dated to the reign of Ahuzotl from 1486-1502 He doubled the size of the Aztec empire during his reign.

The myth of Huitzilopochtli, the solar and war deity of the Aztecs, includes the great confrontation he had with the lunar goddess Coyolxauqui. There are 655 human skulls on the skull rack. 38% of them are females. They were probably female warriors or pregnant women who had a stillbirth. Female sacrifices recreated the path of Coyolxauqui to Serpent Mountain (Mount Coatepec) where she attacked her mother Coatlicue. Huitzilopochtli was in Coatlicue’s womb, and sprang fully armed from the womb of his mother and threw Coyolxauqui down the side of the mountain.

Heritage Daily has the INAH report here:

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/02/female-remains-in-aztec-skull-rack-are-associated-with-the-origin-myth-of-huitzilopochtli/146301?fbclid=IwAR3jtJ9Ad1ZhFVKkN3ra0d0hirc2KjP8b7eP_TY763v0yy7jf5hHoWHi1HQ

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Aztec News

https://aztecnews.tumblr.com

New Discoveries at the Great Pyramid of Cholula

March 17, 2023

The Cholula Pyramid is dedicated to the major god of the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl 

INAH is doing restoration work at the pyramid and have found an adobe core on the east side that dates to Late Classic. Broken ceramics there were braziers indicating sustained use of fire at the pyramid. A cylindrical sculpture in white stone representing Tlaloc, the god of rain, storms and fertility has been uncovered.

INAH is studying the underground level and 24 tunnels under the pyramid.

Heritage Daily has the report with photos here; https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/02/new-discoveries-at-great-pyramid-of-cholula/146158

Mike Ruggeri’s Mesoamerica After Teotihuacan http://mikeruggerispostteotihuacan.tumblr.com

(Scroll down to Cholula)

New Huastec Site Discovered

March 17, 2023

Archeologists in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas at the Huastec state of El Naranjo have uncovered four earthen mounds. The new area was used for burials and daily activities. They have found hearths, ceramics, projectile points, and grinding stones.

Mound 4, revealed multiple burials of adults adorned with earrings made of green quartz and shells, some carved in the shape of flowers. At the larger Mound 1, researchers identified several other burials, and a grave one adult within a limestone structure.

The mounds were made of alternating layers of earth, limestone and basalt. The area was uncovered as a result of new highway construction in the area, and research will continue.

The Art Newspaper has the INAH Report here;

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/13/mexico-el-naranjo-inah-excavations-archaeological-discoveries

Mike Ruggeri’s Mesoamerica After Teotihuacan http://mikeruggerispostteotihuacan.tumblr.com

(Scroll down to Huastecs)

9,000 Year Old Remains in the Cueva de la Paloma in the Oaxaca Valley Reveal Hunter-Gatherer Diet at That Ancient Date

March 17, 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed 9.000 year old remains beneath a layer of sediment. Cave paintings, charred birds and turtles, pollen from wild plants; yucca, chile, guava, pumpkin seeds, agave leaves

Macon.com has the report here with photos;

https://www.macon.com/news/nation-world/world/article271519622.html#storylink=cpy

New Discoveries at the Great Pyramid of Cholula

March 17, 2023

The Cholula Pyramid is dedicated to the major god of the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl 

INAH is doing restoration work at the pyramid and have found an adobe core on the east side that dates to Late Classic. Broken ceramics there were braziers indicating sustained use of fire at the pyramid. A cylindrical sculpture in white stone representing Tlaloc, the god of rain, storms and fertility has been uncovered.

INAH is studying the underground level and 24 tunnels under the pyramid.

Heritage Daily has the report with photos here; https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/02/new-discoveries-at-great-pyramid-of-cholula/146158

Mike Ruggeri’s Mesoamerica After Teotihuacan http://mikeruggerispostteotihuacan.tumblr.com

(Scroll down to Cholula)

New Huastec Site Discovered

March 17, 2023

Archeologists in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas at the Huastec state of El Naranjo have uncovered four earthen mounds. The new area was used for burials and daily activities. They have found hearths, ceramics, projectile points, and grinding stones.

Mound 4, revealed multiple burials of adults adorned with earrings made of green quartz and shells, some carved in the shape of flowers. At the larger Mound 1, researchers identified several other burials, and a grave one adult within a limestone structure.

The mounds were made of alternating layers of earth, limestone and basalt. The area was uncovered as a result of new highway construction in the area, and research will continue.

The Art Newspaper has the INAH Report here;

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/13/mexico-el-naranjo-inah-excavations-archaeological-discoveries

Mike Ruggeri’s Mesoamerica After Teotihuacan

http://mikeruggerispostteotihuacan.tumblr.com

(Scroll down to Huastecs)

9,000 Year Old Remains in the Cueva de la Paloma in the Oaxaca Valley Reveal Hunter-Gatherer Diet at That Ancient Date

March 17, 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed 9.000 year old remains beneath a layer of sediment. Cave paintings, charred birds and turtles, pollen from wild plants; yucca, chile, guava, pumpkin seeds, agave leaves

Macon.com has the report here with photos;

https://www.macon.com/news/nation-world/world/article271519622.html#storylink=cpy

2,000 Year Old Zapotec Murals Found in Tombs in Southern Mexico

March 17, 2023

The murals show black lines, ornately dressed figures in red and yellow hues in San Pedro Nexicho, in southern Oaxaca. They are north-east of the great Zapotec capital of Monte Alba

INAH says one mural represents a war procession and was painted in a codex style. The larges tomb was looted long ago but a golden bead, ceramic pieces, shells and green stones have been found at the site. Two tombs were found intact, and human remains there will be studied. In one tomb, 240 objects were found with Zapotec writing on stucco among them.

The tombs are dated at 200-1100 CE.

ABC Australia has the report here with photos;

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-20/dozens-of-pre-hispanic-zapotec-tombs-in-san-pedro-nexicho/101876922?fbclid=IwAR3Dsj6fxpHm_4MsOE61bMEQr5OxHM0lr-MVzU5qQMlAXjACwkbBZix7o6E

Mike Ruggeri’s Zapotecs

http://mikeruggeriszapotecs.tumblr.com

New Research on the Use of Psychedelics in Early Nazca Culture

March 15, 2023

Researchers in Peru haver analyzed the remains of 22 individuals from the early Nazca culture (100 BCE-400 CE)at 3 Nazca sites. 4 of them were trophy heads, a child, an adult female and two male adults. They found a high level of mescaline  from the San Pedro cactus in the sacrificed individuals and in the child’s hair. This cactus is known in the Quechua language as Huachuma, meaning “removing the head.” And the child and the other three had their heads removed after sacrifice. The female adult had also been chewing coca leaves. The male heads were free of drugs since they were males capture in combat.

More recent Inca civilization gave ayahuasca to child sacrifice victims as an anti-depressant while they awaited their fate. However, as the study authors note, “this is the first proof that some of the victims transformed into trophy heads were given stimulants prior to their death.” 
The same study also found evidence of ayahuasca use among other mummified individuals from the Early Nazca Period – which ran from 100 BCE to 450 CE – and therefore provides the earliest archaeological evidence for the consumption of these two psychedelic plants.
Ayahuasca was found in the hair of two other individuals among the remaining 18. One had so much in his hair that it suggests he was a shaman. Coca was found in five others. This is the earliest evidence of the use of Ayahuasca and San Pedro ever found, and confirms the use of Coca leaves in the early Nazca culture.

The study has been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Iflscience.com has the report here;

https://www.iflscience.com/ancient-trophy-head-child-was-high-on-psychedelic-cactus-before-ritual-sacrifice-66011

Mike Ruggeri’s Nazca Era Peru
http://mikeruggerisnazcaera.tumblr.com

Archaeologists Discover Wari Ritual Complex at the Pakaytambo Site in Southern Peru.

March 15, 2023

The complex has a D-shape temple on a large, monumental platform next to housing structures for officials and people linked to the Wari empire. It was strategically chosen, being between the Andean highlands and coastal valleys of Arequipa and along a prehistoric transit route with ecological and political advantages.

The pre-Inca Wari culture spanned from the 6th-10th centuries.

“Open plaza spaces like this would have allowed local communities to participate in ritual gatherings organized by the Wari,” University of Illinois Chicago postdoctoral researcher David Reid said in a statement.

Reid, who also led the study, said these ritual events “would have been critical in maintaining political authority across great distances of the Wari Empire.”

The Wari built other D-shape Wari temples that have recently been found across Peru, providing greater clarity on how the empire expanded and influenced life across the country.

The research was published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. News of the discovery was first reported by the Art Newspaper.

Artnews.com has the report here;
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/archaeologists-discover-ancient-wari-ritual-complex-pakaytambo-southern-peru-1234658747/

Mike Ruggeri’s Moche/Wari Era Peru
http://mikeruggerismoche.tumblr.com

Important Research at Mount Tlaloc in the State of Mexico

January 15, 2023

Researchers have discovered that a straight stone causeway on Mount Tlaloc, an extinct volcano, aligns with the rising sun on February 23/24. Mount Tlaloc is in the State of Mexico, where a shrine complex was built by the Mexica people. It was associated by the Aztecs with the rain god Tlaloc. And was seen as the heavenly home of Tlaloc, Tlalocan. Great rituals, offerings and human sacrifices were offered to Tlaloc at the beginning of the rainy season.

If an observer stands in the lower part of the causeway looking upwards on February 23/24, they will see the sun riding exactly in the middle of the path. The Aztec date of the New Year is February 23. They used this date to keep their agricultural calendar in line with the solar year.  

The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS)

The full research paper is here;
PNAS
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215615119

Heritage Daily has the report here;
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/01/ruins-on-mount-tlaloc-are-an-ancient-observatory/145743

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Aztec News
https://aztecnews.tumblr.com

Recently Excavated Sculpture of Xipe Toltec Placed on Display at the Templo Mayor

January 15, 2023

A statue of the Aztec deity Xipe Totec (the Flayed God), excavated in the Moyotlan quadrant of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, will go on display at the Templo Mayor museum in Mexico City. Xipe Totec was the patron god of that Aztec quadrant.  It is 27 inches high, carved from andesite. It is missing its shield. He wears a shirt of flayed skin from a sacrificed victim. It was discovered last year during excavations on Las Delicisas street in downtown Mexico City. It was buried under adobe fill, hidden from Spanish invaders.


The restored sculpture is now on display in the lobby of the museum where it will remain until April 2nd.

History Blog has the report here

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/66147

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Aztec News
https://aztecnews.tumblr.com

New Research May Show People Moved Back and Forth From North America to Siberia

January 14, 2023

The remains of three people who died in Kamchatka, Siberia show they had North American genes. So people traveled back and forth across the Bering Sea region. Researchers studied genetic and linguistic evidence that showed folks in North America boated back to Siberia. This new DNA evidence bolsters the proof of this. The evidence from this new DNA study shows evidence of this return journey 5,000 years ago and 1,500 years ago. 

However, critics point out that the genes identified as North American comes from a group that never left Siberia but shares ancestry with Native Americans.

Ancient Siberia is turning out to be a crossroads. Altai hunter-gatherers in Siberia are related to Bronze Age people from Central Asia. One who appears to have been a shaman in the burial remans had northeast Asian ancestry. And one has ancestry from the Jomon people in Japan.

The research is published in Current Biology


Science.org has the report here.

https://www.science.org/content/article/native-americans-and-their-genes-traveled-back-siberia-new-genomes-reveal?fbclid=IwAR0j-21tyo810ODMsuTwewCA1OpXR6pMSnbvJpM2JjmwuSE5Z16foNynvFE

Mike Ruggeri’s Pre-Clovis and Clovis News on Tumblr

http://mikeruggerispreclovisnews.tumblr.com

Pedra Furada Pre-Clovis Claims Debunked

January 14, 2023

Some researchers have been claiming that they found stone tools made by humans that were in use 50,000 years ago at the Pedra Furada site in Brazil. But new research shows that Capuchin monkeys widely made and used stone tools in this area at that time. The assemblage found at Pedra Furada does not show anything beyond crude stone tools that were probably made by the Capuchin monkeys. 

The monkeys have their own rock quarries, where they selec rocks to use as hammers to crack nuts against a larger, flattened anvil rock. Rocks also come in handy for eating seeds and fruits—and the monkeys even lick the dust created from driving two rocks together, possibly as a way of adding minerals to their diets.

Stone tools assist capuchins with other tasks as well, such as digging. And the females throw rocks at potential mates as a way of demonstrating sexual interest.

All of these processes can lead to the stones breaking into smaller flaked pieces—which, the new study found, are indistinguishable from some ancient stone tools carved by early humans.
The research is published in Sage Journals’ The Holocene 

Artnet.com haș the report here:
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-tools-monkeys-2237820

Mike Ruggeri’s Pre-Clovis and Clovis News on Tumblr
http://mikeruggerispreclovisnews.tumblr.com

Ancient Maya Market System Studied

January 10, 2023

Research into the K’iche led region of Guatemala shows that trade in obsidian was manage by local people through independent trade networks. And it was based on availability and craftsmanship. So it appears this is a system based on a free market. Research was done on a geochemical and technological analysis on obsidian artifacts excavated from 50 sites around the K’iche’ capital. Where did raw material come from and what were the manufacturing techniques used.

In the capital area, centralized control and managed trade was in operation. Outside the core area in conquered areas, they obtained their own obsidian and developed obsidian markets.

The research is published in Latin American Antiquity

Phys.org has the report here;

https://phys.org/news/2023-01-mayas-market-based-economics.htm

Huge New Ancient Maya Civilizational Complex Found in Northern Guatemala

January 10, 2023

A previously unidentified Maya area now 964 settlements have been found by LIDAR flying over Guatemala’s Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin in northern Guatemala. It is dated to 1000 BCE-150 CE covering 650 square miles with 110 miles of roads. They also built a vast causeway network. There are 775 sites in the central area and 189 sites in the surrounding area. 417 cities, towns, and villages from part of a unified civilization. Patterns, ceramics, sculptures, architecture all show this unity. Thousands of workers had to be mobilized in an area previously thought to be sparsely populated.

“The labor would include lime producers, mortar and quarry specialists, lithic technicians, architects, logistics and agricultural procurement specialists, and legal enforcement and religious officials, all operating under a political and ideological homogeneity,”

Large pyramids and platforms have been identified as well as 30 ball courts. 195 artificial reservoirs and a network of canals for transporting water was were constructed.  The study is published in the journal Ancient Mesoamerica.

The report is published here;

https://www.iflscience.com/enormous-maya-civilization-discovered-complete-with-roads-reservoirs-and-ballcourts-66804

168 New Nazca Geoglyphs Discovered in Peru

January 7, 2023

Archaeologists from Japan’s Yamagata University have discovered 168  new Nazca Lines on the Pampas de Juman in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru, the latest addition to over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures, and 70 animal and plant designs

The figures depict humans, camelids, birds, killer orca whales, cats, and snakes, and date to 100 BCE-300 C.E. Some measure just 10 or 20 feet long, which helps explain why they went undetected for so long. In comparison, the biggest geoglyphs measure about 1,200 feet across.

They conducted researcjwith drones, taking aerial photos, and conducting field surveys from June 2019 to February 2020, using high-resolution aerial photographs taken by drones. A.I. technology provided an assist in spotting and deciphering the age-old markings. The Nazca Lines can now be found across a 170-square-mile area.

only 5% of all existing Nazca lines have so far been found. These geoglyphs were created by removing black stones from the surface of the earth to expose a white sandy surface below.   it is unclear how the black stone was removed.

Some geoglyphs are in danger of being destroyed due to the recent expansion of mining-related workshops in the archaeological park.

Artnet haș the report here with many photos;

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/new-nazca-lines-discovery-2231132

New Research into Chincha Culture Funeral Rituals in Ancient Peru

January 6, 2023

Researchers analyzed hundreds of human remains from the Chincha culture in Peru going back as far at 1000 CE in large mortuary structures to study the use of fingerprinting red pigment on skulls in funerary rituals. They found different kinds of red paint were used and only certain people were painted. Using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and laser ablation ICP-MS, techniques, they found that 24 of the samples came from iron based ochres like hematite, 13 came from mercury based cinnabar, and one was a combination. Cinnabar came from hundreds of miles away and the hematite came from local sources.

Most of those whose skulls were painted were adult males. Bones of women and children who had healed traumatic injuries and those whose skulls were modified as babies were also painted. They used textiles, leaves and their hands to apply the pigment. It appears that the painters also entered the mortuaries to paint those who had been desecrated during the European conquest

The research is published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.

Live Science has the report and photos here:

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-skulls-red-fingerpaint-peru

Researchers Study the Remains of a Spider Monkey at Teotihuacan Given by the Maya

December 10, 2022

In 2018, archaeologists found the remains of a spider monkey gifted by the Maya to Teotihuacan in Teotihuacan’s early history. Research into the remains of the monkey using DNA, radiocarbon dating, and chemical study of the diet of the monkey, researchers have reconstructed the life and death of the monkey. Spider monkeys are not native to the Mexican highlands where Teotihuacan is located. The money was found in a complex that contained obsidian projectile points, conch shells, and precious stone artifacts, 14,000 ceramic shards from a grand feast, as well as a Maya mural depicting the spider monkey.

The monkey was brought as a gift to the elite at Teotihuacan by a Maya emissaries and the monkey was given a brutal live burial sacrifice send off. The research was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Science Alert has the report here;

https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-bones-suggest-maya-befriended-neighbors-with-a-sacrificial-spider-monkey