Dental fillings on centuries-old skeletons found under Mexico school hint at origins

Brendan Rascius
·1 min read
4

Half a dozen graves were found buried under a school in rural Mexico, officials said. They likely date back hundreds of years to a pre-Columbian civilization.

The skeletons were discovered during an archaeological dig in Hidalgo Amajac, a small town near the Gulf of Mexico about 180 miles northeast of Mexico City, according to a July 14 news release from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

The graves were found under or near a fence on the property of the town’s elementary school, officials said.

Two sets of remains were buried under about 3 feet of earth, while other four skeletons — found in a seated position — were located much closer to the surface, covered only by inches of soil. One of these was discovered just below a water pipe.

The six graves were found underneath the fence of an elementary school in Veracruz, officials said.
The six graves were found underneath the fence of an elementary school in Veracruz, officials said.

Of the six skeletons unearthed, two had dental fillings, indicating the individuals were likely part of the Huastec civilization, a Meso-American culture that predated the European conquest of Latin America.

Tooth modification — through drilling, filing and cutting — was common throughout older Meso-American societies, particularly among elite men, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Precious stones such as jade and turquoise were often placed inside the drilled holes.

Based on other materials and ceramics found during the excavation, archaeologists dated the graves to around 1100 or 1200 AD. Their findings indicate that a large, pre-Columbian settlement once existed in the area.

The site first attracted the interest of archaeologists in May after an ancient sculpture was unearthed during routine roadwork near the school, officials said.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from INAH.

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