Human Skull Found At Ancient Burial Site That May Be Over 3,000 Years Old

Archaeologists in El Salvador are studying an ancient burial site that could provide new information about people who lived in the region more than 2,000 years ago. The discovery, which may date back to around 850 BC, is now being carefully examined, reported People.

According to a news release from El Salvador's Ministry of Culture, a pre-Hispanic burial site was found earlier this month in Antiguo Cuscatlan, a suburb of San Salvador. Excavation of the remains began on July 21.

The project is being led by archaeologist Carlos Flores Manzano, a doctoral candidate at Yale University, under the supervision of conservators and archaeologists from the National Directorate of Culture.

During the excavation, researchers found a human skull alongside a small Usulutan ceramic vessel shaped like a sea turtle. Layers of volcanic ash also preserved the remains of cassava branches.

El Salvador's Ministry of Culture said the discovery could become one of the oldest pre-Hispanic burials in Mesoamerica because of its age. The ministry added that the find would provide new information about the populations that inhabited the region more than two thousand years ago.

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The remains were found face down and will undergo radiocarbon dating to determine their age. DNA tests are also being carried out to identify the person's gender, according to El Salvador's Ministry of Culture.

Archaeologists believe some aspects of the burial could be similar to the Chalchuapa archaeological site in western El Salvador, where the remains of 33 people were discovered in the 1970s.

According to CBS News, archaeologists found 26 complete skeletons, four partial skeletons and three isolated skulls at the Chalchuapa site. Several of the remains were found face down with their hands and feet bound, while others showed signs of mutilation or decapitation.