Art News

Archaeologists Find Two Pre-Hispanic Sculptures that Offer Insight into Maya Civilization

OCOSINGO, MEXICO.- Two Prehispanic sculptures made out of limestone that represent war captives and a pair of tableaux that marked the Ballgame, were found by Mexican specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) at Tonina Archaeological Zone, in Ocosingo Municipality, Chiapas. The discovery confirms the alliance between Lordships of Copan, in Honduras, and Palenque, in Mexico at the war that Palenque fought against Tonina for 26 years (688 to 714 AD) to control the Usumacinta River. Sculptures of the prisoners of Copan and both tableaux, of an approximate age of 1300 years, were found buried in late May 2011, to the south of the Ballgame Court. “All the pieces were found broken: the tableaux in more than 30 fragments, one sculpture in 20 pieces and the other was found complete but presents 3 fractures”, informed Dr. Juan Yadeun, responsible of the Archaeological