A cave-mapping trip in the Tlayócoc cave in Mexico has led to a remarkable discovery—hidden proof of a long-lost civilization.
Professional cave explorer Yekaterina “Katiya” Pavlova traveled to a community in the Sierra de Guerrero to continue charting the cave system. She and local guide Adrián Beltrán Dimas explored all the known areas before deciding to investigate an unmapped underwater passage. Their risk paid off.
The passage opened into a hidden chamber, where two engraved shell bracelets sat on top of stalagmites—likely placed there as offerings, according to the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Inside the chamber, the explorers also found another bracelet, a large snail shell, and fragments of black stone discs similar to ancient pyrite mirrors. Tests showed the items were more than 500 years old.
When archaeologists entered the cave, they uncovered 14 artifacts in total: three shell bracelets, a bracelet fragment, the giant snail shell, a piece of burnt wood, and pieces of eight stone discs (two complete). The bracelets, carved from marine snail shells, were decorated with symbols and human-like figures.
The designs included S-shaped symbols called xonecuilli, zigzag lines, and circles forming profile faces. These may have represented gods or spiritual beings. Experts believe the artifacts were left between 950 and 1521 A.D., during the Postclassic period, when the now-extinct Tlacotepehua people lived in the region.
Archaeologist Miguel Perez said the find is important because it gives clues about the culture’s beliefs, craftsmanship, and trade. The stalagmites in the chamber had been shaped into rounder forms, likely for ritual purposes.
Cuauhtémoc Reyes Alvarez, another INAH archaeologist, suggested the symbols and figures could be linked to creation and fertility myths. The sealed nature of the cave suggests it may have been seen as a sacred portal to the underworld.
The black stone discs are similar to those found in nearby and faraway ancient cultures, such as the Huasteca. Historical records suggest that extreme cold in the Sierra de Guerrero—over 7,850 feet above sea level—may have driven the Tlacotepehua people to lower lands. Very little is known about them, but the shell bracelets may help tell their story.
