Archaeology & History

Liquid mercury found under Mexican pyramid

By T.K. Randall
April 26, 2015 ·  64 comments

Many mysteries surround Teotihuacan. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Carlitos Alonso Caballero Vallejo Discovered by Mexican researcher Sergio Gómez, the mercury was found within a chamber inside one of the pyramids of Teotihuacan, the world famous pre-Columbian ruins located in Central Mexico.

For years Gómez and his team had been working their way down through the bowels of the pyramid after its tunnels were unsealed in 2003. Dating back over 1,800 years, the ancient structure could still contain an undiscovered king's tomb or ritual chamber that would help shed some light on how the ancient city was ruled.

Last year the team uncovered three chambers located 60ft below the pyramid and now with the discovery of liquid mercury they are hoping that a significant discovery could be close at hand.While this dangerous metal would have had no practical application for the ancient Mesoamericans its reflective properties may have seen it used for symbolic or ritualistic purposes.

"Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future," said Prof Annabeth Headreck of the University of Denver.

In this case the mercury may have represented an underworld river - a gateway to the afterlife.

If these indications of a burial chamber prove correct then it might not be long before Gómez and his team locate the ultimate prize buried deep down within the ancient tunnels of the pyramid.

Source: The Guardian | Comments (64)

Tags: Aztec, Pyramid, Mexico