Ancient children and animal remains found in Mexican tomb

Archeologists in Mexico made an exciting discovery this week, after uncovering a 1,500 year-old pre-Hispanic shaft tomb on a plot of land in the state of Colima.

The tomb is a deep rectangular structure and inside was a sculpture of a long-faced shaman believed to be guarding the entrance. Shaman statues such as this are generally believed to have been soul guides for the dead in Meso-American cultures.

“With regards to the figure of the shaman, he was found upright and is holding some kind of weapon, probably an axe. He was placed exactly at the entrance, towards the crypt. He is some kind of a guardian of the main character deposited inside the shaft tomb.”

The tomb also contains the remains of children and small dogs. It’s a significant discovery, as shaft tombs are often looted for their rich contents.

Archaeologists believe that the tomb dates back to between 0 and 500 AD after analysing the volcanic rock found in the walls and they are currently checking six pots found inside to see whether they contain seeds or organic remains.

Difficult words: shaft tomb (deep structure below the ground where people are buried), plot (piece), soul guide (person who helps a dead person leave the earth), loot (to steal), organic remain (pieces of a plant or animal).