A road construction crew has discovered a 1,000-year-old pyramid in Mexico

Sometimes the most impressive discoveries are discovered by accident. That’s exactly what happened in June, when construction work in Mexico uncovered the remains of an archaeological site potentially more than 1,000 years old.

Archaeologists in Hidalgo, Mexico investigated the foundations of a pyramid discovered earlier this year during work on Federal Highway 105 in the region. statement The site was identified by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) as part of a pre-Hispanic settlement, potentially shedding light on ancient human occupation of the mountainous Sierra Alta region of Hidalgo.

“The site and the monument were thoroughly documented with the assistance of drones to develop digital photogrammetric models,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

In Hidalgo, local excavations led by the Mexican Ministry of Culture also discovered five “sectors” and at least ten archaeological mounds. In addition to these structures, archaeologists collected 155 samples, including ceramics, shells, stone artifacts, limestone floors, charcoal, soil and carbonated wood, which they will further study through laboratory analyzes in the coming months.

INAH archaeologists have dated the complex to the Epiclassic period (AD 650-950) and the Late Postclassic period (AD 1350-1519), which predates the arrival of Europeans in Mexico. They suggested it had something to do with the small Metztitlan a kingdom of indigenous peoples, also known as Metzka, that remained independent, including from the more powerful Aztec Empire, until the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century. convents, according to INAH.

Archaeologists later discovered that the site was part of a pre-Hispanic settlement called San Miguel, near the modern city of San Miguel Metzquititlán. of INAH, show human activity dating back 14,000 years.

After a “comprehensive study,” INAH archaeologists reburied the archaeological complex, a preservation method often used when there are not enough resources to properly manage the heritage. Before the full reburial, INAH said experts protected the structures geotextilea permeable textile incorporated with other materials such as rocks or soil to protect archaeological ruins, among other landmarks. As a last-ditch defense, workers have now built a rock wall to further protect the reburial site from nearby road construction.

While it’s disappointing to see heritage disappearing underground again, it’s best to keep the most important history underground until it can be properly managed.