Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a branch of Mexico’s Ministry of Culture, successfully recovered a globular pre-Hispanic pot from a natural formation named Zumpango. This site is part of the Garra de Jaguar cave system, located approximately 22 kilometers from Playa del Carmen’s municipal center.
The discovery was initially reported by members of the Cenotes Urbanos de Playa del Carmen AC, leading to the assignment of INAH specialists José Antonio Reyes Solís and Enrique Terrones González for its recovery, registration, and preservation. The pot, believed to date back to the Late Postclassic period (1200–1550 AD), features two opposite handles and geometric decorations painted in black. However, its upper section, including the neck and rim, is partially missing.
Experts noted that calcareous concretions obscure portions of the pot’s exterior design, necessitating a cleaning and restoration process to better determine its ceramic classification and historical significance.
The Zumpango Cave has been under study since 2015, when an international team of speleologists, coordinated by Peter Sprouse, conducted a topographic survey. The site, part of the Jaguar Claw system, includes other significant caves such as Ocho Balas. The entrance to Zumpango Cave features a spacious area with columns—speleothems formed by the fusion of stalagmites and stalactites—some of which were historically enclosed by semicircular stone walls.
Archaeologists identified the pot, found inverted within a smaller cave used as a shelf, in the cave’s eastern sector. Additional modifications, likely made by the pre-Columbian Maya, include a staircase leading to a water source connected to an underground river in the northern part of the cave.
During their survey, researchers also retrieved a ceramic net weight, potentially used as a plumb line. No additional archaeological artifacts were located.
Accompanying the INAH team on their inspection were archaeologist Miguel Covarrubias Reyna and members of the Urban Cenotes of Playa del Carmen organization, highlighting collaborative efforts to uncover and preserve the region’s historical treasures.
Source: Cronica
