(ORDO NEWS) — In Mexico, archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), as part of the Promeza Archaeological Area Improvement Program, unearthed an elaborate Mayan stele that turned out to be double.
According to INAH, an unusual Mayan double stele was discovered in the archaeological site of Uxmal, located on the Yucatan Peninsula.
This is a rare monument, which has relief images on both sides. The value of the find also lies in the fact that the stele was discovered in the same place where it was installed in the pre-Hispanic period.
The monument was discovered by a team led by archaeologist José Juchim Herrera. The stele was located in the so-called flooded part of the city of Uxmal.
It faced north on one side, depicting a goddess with large eyes, a breastplate with three rows of pearls, bracelets also decorated with pearls and a mesh skirt to the toes.
In her left hand she holds a quetzal – a symbol of power. Based on known data, scientists say that the image of the goddess could be associated with death. Such beliefs were typical, for example, for the nearby ancient city of Puuc.
On the south side, a male deity is depicted on the stele. This god is depicted with a wide-brimmed headdress decorated with feathers and an owl’s head.
In addition, his arms are decorated with bracelets, and his legs and thighs are decorated with special bandages.
A mesh cloak is thrown over his shoulders, in his left hand he holds an object that looks like a staff, and in his right – some kind of bundle. An explanation for this creature has not yet been given.
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