7,000-Year-Old Cave Paintings Found Near Chichen Itza

News from the Yucatan peninsular in Mexico, describing the finds made by anthropologists from the Autonomous University of Yucatan, as reported by americanegypt.com...

Anthropologists have discovered cave paintings near Chichen Itza believed to predate the Maya civilization by more than 5,000 years. The paintings are deep with a cave called Gruta Kab in Kaua, a small village between Chichen Itza and Valladolid. The cave is 4 to 5 kilometers long, and winds 8 meters under the surface.

Some 60 figures have been found so far, according to Carlos Augusto (in photo above), the administrative secretary of the School of Anthropological Sciences of the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

The “paint” used is “cankab” red soil treated as a pigment, rich in iron oxide. According to experts, it adheres well to walls. There are depictions of human figures praying (arms extended upward and squatting), men hunting with spears in hand, animals and birds, and impressions of hands in positive and negative, he said.

The style indicates they are of great antiquity, pre-dating the Maya civilization which flourished in this region from around the time of Christ to about 1500. Augusto also reported there are more modern paintings in the cave, including one believed to be the Maya symbol “Ajau.”

Anthropologists have also found shards of pottery from the Maya era, indicating the cave had been used over many millennia.

There we also representations of crosses, possibly indicating the cave was used after the time of the Spanish Conquest. Even though the cave is difficult to get into, the anthropologists also found cave paintings of more recent vintage, in the form of graffiti.

It would be interesting to know exactly why this cave attracted the attention of people over so many millennia, and why they also felt prompted to decorate the interior with these various paintings. Yahoo! has this to add...

Augusto also noted that there are also Mayan 'Ajau' symbols and pottery in the cave from the classical period of that civilisation showing that the cave was occupied at various times over the course of human history.

There are also drawings of crosses that suggest that it was occupied during the epoch of the Spanish conquest, he added.

The cave, made up of tunnels between three and five kilometres long, is a virtual labyrinth eight metres below ground.

He said that the cave 'shows the existence of symbolic thinking in Mesoamerica, when the human groups were still hunters and gatherers', something that he said was of 'extraordinary importance'.

Hopefully there will be further details to follow.

(via Terrae Antiquae)