The discovered skeleton, named as "The stolen girl" from the Chan Hol cave, in the area of Tulum, Quintana Roo disappeared.
May 9, 2012, Wednesday
The missing skeleton which disappeared from Chan Hol cave last march was not originally mentioned as the "Young from Hol Chan I" or "Man of the Temple", but it was a different remnant named as "Chan Hol II" and now dubbed as "The girl stolen from Chan Hol".
With its gender confirmed through the hip bone which was subtracted, the stolen skeleton is found to be the best preserved remains among the other seven that were found in the underground cave systems which was flooded during the Ice Age period more than 10 thousand years ago; but before that the place was dry for thousands of years and served as a water collection site and shelter to the first American population from Southeast Asia.
The mentioned "stolen girl from the cave Chan Hol", was recorded as the eighth prehistoric human skeleton discovered in Tulum. The trace data from the very last stage of the Ice Age, identified as Upper Pleistocene, is by far the most serious evidence that the first settlements in this region and also the rest of America, not only came walking over the Bering Strait", Jeronimo Aviles Olguin, co-author of the "Study of the pre ceramic human groups from the east coast of Quintana Roo", says. The study was supported by experts including speleologist Eugenio Acevez, biologist Arturo Gonzalez, physical anthropologists Alejandro Terrazas and Martha Benavente together with INAH.
The significance of this skeleton is the fact that, when compared with past ones is the very best preserved one, considering that the bones were engrossed in a mineral deposit making them more resilient. "The entire bone was coated with speleothem, which happens to be a mineral deposit which makes it stronger, compared to the Chan Hol I which was apparently crumbling", according to Aviles Olguin.
Chan Hol II, according to project coordinator, Arturo Gonzalez, is a key to the findings and for understanding the America settlement, as well as to find out and understand the environmental changes, global warming and other natural disasters.
The Partial Finding Of The Human Remains
Chan Hol II was last seen March the 16th and it was on the 23rd that its absence was confirmed, Avil's Olguin recounts. The day after, archaeologist Carmen Rojas revealed that the skeleton is missing in the social media networks. "The skeleton's existence was documented via a photographic record; it follows that, the moment they returned to compare, they reported that 80% of the skeleton was missing or stolen",he states.
The partial recovery of the ancient human remains was not released much for some reason even if the news went around the world.
Restoring The Ancient Human Remains
The restoration of the archaeological skeleton was under Jerome's Aviles Olguin charge and several other professionals, who in two dives made in April, managed to acquire some ancient skeleton parts. Aviles Olguin specifies that what they have discovered and rescued were vertebrae, rib fragments, jaw, molar and two incisors, hand and feet bones, which confirm that they're from a very old skeleton.
For the study to be conducted, the material was then transferred to the UNAM's Institute of Anthropological Research. The hip, that was not stolen, may be because it was scared, was the main element to ascertain that the skeleton's gender isn't of a man, on the other hand of a young and powerful woman, in accordance with the observations made by anthropologists Benavante and Terrazas. At the same time, they located remains of one of the arms, on the other hand what stood missing are the head and the rest of the skeletal frame.
Signs reading "wanted pre-mayan skeleton disappeared from the Chan Hol Cave" was distributed by INAH after the robbery, mostly among the divers of Tulum. The public ad sent out revealed that they are 14500 years old ancient remains from Tulum, possibly dating prior to those of the "Woman from Naharon", the eighth pre-mayan remains they have which is considered as America's oldest skeleton.
May 9, 2012, Wednesday
The missing skeleton which disappeared from Chan Hol cave last march was not originally mentioned as the "Young from Hol Chan I" or "Man of the Temple", but it was a different remnant named as "Chan Hol II" and now dubbed as "The girl stolen from Chan Hol".
With its gender confirmed through the hip bone which was subtracted, the stolen skeleton is found to be the best preserved remains among the other seven that were found in the underground cave systems which was flooded during the Ice Age period more than 10 thousand years ago; but before that the place was dry for thousands of years and served as a water collection site and shelter to the first American population from Southeast Asia.
The mentioned "stolen girl from the cave Chan Hol", was recorded as the eighth prehistoric human skeleton discovered in Tulum. The trace data from the very last stage of the Ice Age, identified as Upper Pleistocene, is by far the most serious evidence that the first settlements in this region and also the rest of America, not only came walking over the Bering Strait", Jeronimo Aviles Olguin, co-author of the "Study of the pre ceramic human groups from the east coast of Quintana Roo", says. The study was supported by experts including speleologist Eugenio Acevez, biologist Arturo Gonzalez, physical anthropologists Alejandro Terrazas and Martha Benavente together with INAH.
The significance of this skeleton is the fact that, when compared with past ones is the very best preserved one, considering that the bones were engrossed in a mineral deposit making them more resilient. "The entire bone was coated with speleothem, which happens to be a mineral deposit which makes it stronger, compared to the Chan Hol I which was apparently crumbling", according to Aviles Olguin.
Chan Hol II, according to project coordinator, Arturo Gonzalez, is a key to the findings and for understanding the America settlement, as well as to find out and understand the environmental changes, global warming and other natural disasters.
The Partial Finding Of The Human Remains
Chan Hol II was last seen March the 16th and it was on the 23rd that its absence was confirmed, Avil's Olguin recounts. The day after, archaeologist Carmen Rojas revealed that the skeleton is missing in the social media networks. "The skeleton's existence was documented via a photographic record; it follows that, the moment they returned to compare, they reported that 80% of the skeleton was missing or stolen",he states.
The partial recovery of the ancient human remains was not released much for some reason even if the news went around the world.
Restoring The Ancient Human Remains
The restoration of the archaeological skeleton was under Jerome's Aviles Olguin charge and several other professionals, who in two dives made in April, managed to acquire some ancient skeleton parts. Aviles Olguin specifies that what they have discovered and rescued were vertebrae, rib fragments, jaw, molar and two incisors, hand and feet bones, which confirm that they're from a very old skeleton.
For the study to be conducted, the material was then transferred to the UNAM's Institute of Anthropological Research. The hip, that was not stolen, may be because it was scared, was the main element to ascertain that the skeleton's gender isn't of a man, on the other hand of a young and powerful woman, in accordance with the observations made by anthropologists Benavante and Terrazas. At the same time, they located remains of one of the arms, on the other hand what stood missing are the head and the rest of the skeletal frame.
Signs reading "wanted pre-mayan skeleton disappeared from the Chan Hol Cave" was distributed by INAH after the robbery, mostly among the divers of Tulum. The public ad sent out revealed that they are 14500 years old ancient remains from Tulum, possibly dating prior to those of the "Woman from Naharon", the eighth pre-mayan remains they have which is considered as America's oldest skeleton.
About the Author:
Like the outdoors? Looking for travel ideas in the Riviera Maya? Try the Mexico travel community for info on touring Guatemala, Mexico and Belize. The original article appeared here: Mayan Riviera Outdoor Adventures.
