Ancient oven unearthed in Mexico

Archeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient oven during excavations at El Teul archaeological site in Zacatecas in northern Mexico.

Excavations by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) yielded a Prehispanic oven, which was used to melt copper more than 800 years ago.

“Finding the rests of the oven to melt copper is very important because it is the earliest found in Mexico and was used during Early Post Classic period, between 900 and 1200 of the Common Age,” Artdaily quoted archaeologist and co director of El Teul Archaeological Project Peter Jimenez as saying.

According to Jimenez, the oven is made of stone and masonry and bears remnants of ash and carbonized maize, used as combustible.

Studies show that El Teul was the religious center of Caxcan people, during its latest occupation.

“It is considered one of the earliest sites in Mesoamerica, being occupied for almost 18 centuries, from 200 BC to 1540 AD.”

Archeologists also excavated two pyramids and part of a ballgame court, as well as burials that show changes in funerary patterns of ancient dwellers.

“Both pyramids show traces that there was fire around them, and date from Epi Classic period (600-900 AD),” Jimenez explained.

Half of the ballgame court was also excavated, revealing two different constructive stages, one dating back to the Epi Classic period and the other to the Early Post Classic period (900 to 1100 CE).

According to Jimenez, some of the discovered burials belong to the “tumbas de caja” (box tombs) tradition.

“These tombs date from 200-500 of the Common Era, and give account of changes in funerary patterns; passing from shaft tombs to box burials refers to the moment when cultures from Western Mexico begin to integrate with those from Bajio and Mexico Valley.”

presstv.ir...

This is really cool!

Some interesting stuff being found in Mexico. It's hardly ancient though, but I took the article headline word for word.

Thoughts?

~Keeper

man there have been a rash of new Meso American finds!!!


it's really exciting I'm so fascinated by by all this I'll go on Archeologia

I'll bet they have something about on there maybe not much more though it's pretty fresh

great post

An interesting find, thanks for sharing. S&F

I can’t wait to see if anything else comes out of this location.