Overview

• Excavation of Te K’ab Chaak’s tomb at Caracol’s Northeast Acropolis concluded in July 2025, marking the first identified royal burial found at the site in over four decades.
• The burial chamber held eleven pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, jadeite jewelry, a mosaic mask, Pacific spondylus shells and other perishable offerings that signal elite status and long-distance trade.
• Bioarchaeological study indicates Te K’ab Chaak ruled from 331 AD until his interment around 350 AD, dying at an advanced age about 5’7” tall and with no remaining teeth.
• Artifacts and burial practices suggest formal diplomatic ties between early Caracol rulers and Teotihuacan predating the 378 AD entrada recorded on Maya monuments.
• Teams are now conducting mask reconstruction alongside ancient DNA and stable isotope analyses ahead of an August 2025 Maya–Teotihuacan conference to deepen understanding of interregional dynamics.