During the survey for a new railway line, archaeologists discovered a Maya warrior statue adorned with a serpent on its head.
Archaeologists in Mexico uncovered this 1,000-year-old Maya warrior statue in the basement of a temple at Chichén Itzá, located in the Yucatán Peninsula.
The recently discovered Maya warrior statue with a serpent on its head from the Yucatán Peninsula.
The statue depicts a warrior wearing a serpent-shaped helmet with bared teeth, as well as a feathered headdress, according to a statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
This statue stands 33 cm tall and 28 cm wide; aside from a crack, it is in good condition. This Maya warrior head statue may have once been part of a larger sculptural design.
The Chichén Itzá area thrived from the 9th to the 13th century and covers an area of over 300 hectares. At the center of this area is a pyramid known as El Castillo (meaning “The Castle”) which is 30 meters tall. The site features numerous temples, a large ball court, and an astronomical observatory.
This is a popular tourist destination, and in recent years, INAH has renovated and constructed new tourist centers and museums, as well as a new railway line called “Maya Train”, near this site. The statue was found during archaeological work related to the construction of the new railway line.
The statement noted that many other archaeological discoveries have been made during the construction of this new railway, including approximately 660 tombs, over 1 million ceramic pieces, remnants of various architectural structures, and numerous other artifacts.
