Overview

• Archaeologists have begun extracting DNA and conducting isotopic analyses on human remains from the newly uncovered royal tomb complex in Caracol
• The burial has been identified as that of Te K’ab Chaak, who reigned from 331 to around 350 CE, marking the first clearly attributed royal tomb in 40 years of excavation
• A jadeite mosaic funerary mask, shell ornaments and carved bone flutes accompanied Te K’ab Chaak’s remains, underscoring his high ceremonial status
• Three contemporaneous elite cremation burials beneath the central plaza contained green obsidian blades, atlatl spear points and Teotihuacan-style ceramics
• Unusual mortuary rites and exotic grave goods point to formal diplomatic and ritual connections between Caracol and Teotihuacan around the mid-4th century CE