An emergency rescue excavation was urgently conducted when a millennium-old pyramid unexpectedly emerged at a construction site.
According to Heritage Daily, at a construction site for the Federal Highway 105 project in Hidalgo, Mexico, workers were astonished to discover a massive pre-Hispanic pyramid.
The highway construction was swiftly halted in this area to allow archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) to carry out a rescue excavation.
The mysterious pyramid stands right in the middle of the highway construction site, beside a section that has already been completed – (Photo: CINAH Hidalgo).
According to a press release from INAH, the pyramid – referred to as “Structure 1” – belongs to a settlement temporarily named “San Miguel”, due to its proximity to the town of San Miguel Metzquititlán.
This ancient settlement consists of five distinct areas with at least ten mounds, dating from the Epiclassic period (650-950 AD) to the Late Postclassic period (1350-1519 AD).
This period is commonly referred to by Mexicans as the “pre-Hispanic era”, which signifies the time before Spanish forces invaded the region in the 16th century, marked by the fall of the Aztec capital in 1521.
The excavations in the area surrounding the pyramid also uncovered 155 artifacts, including pottery, shells, stone tools, and materials such as lime, charcoal, and burnt wood.
After a thorough study of Structure 1, the base of the pyramid was reinforced with a 43-meter-long masonry wall along the archaeological cross-section.
Subsequently, the entire structure was buried again to preserve it underground and facilitate the completion of the highway project.
Archaeologists believe that Structure 1 and the entire settlement may be linked to the Metzca lordship that settled in the Sierra Alta region of Hidalgo.
“This new data will contribute to our understanding of ancient life in the Sierra Alta of Hidalgo, particularly in the Barranca de Metztitlán area, where historical accounts suggest that early settlements may have existed as far back as 14,000 years ago” – stated INAH.
