Brutally sacrificed ancient spider monkey unearthed and scientists think it’s evidence of a 700-year-old pact
THE REMAINS of a spooky sacrificed ancient spider monkey have been uncovered and analyzed in a new study.
Researchers suggest that the animal was presented as a gift meant to strengthen the bonds between two ancient and powerful cultures.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, which was able to track the life of the spider monkey thanks to new archeological developments.
"It's such an exciting time to be doing archaeology because the methodology is finally here," said the lead author of the study Nawa Sugiyama to AFP.
The spider monkey’s remains are seventeen hundred years old and were found in Teotihuacan, an area about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City.
The remains were found alongside a golden eagle and other high-value items, like precious stones and shells.
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It was a curious discovery considering that spider monkeys aren’t native to those lands, prompting researchers to investigate why it was there and whether or not it was brought from another location to serve a special purpose.
Teotihuacan was an important urban location of the era, known as a place for cultural exchanges and cultural developments, having several impressive pyramids that are now historical monuments.
Researchers began to theorize that someone might have brought in the spider monkey as a part of an exchange or ancient ritual.
Adding more evidence to this theory is the discovery of a Mayan mural depicting the spider monkey.
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Test results conducted on the remains suggest that the animal lived in different locations.
The extraction of the animal’s DNA and an analysis of its diet showed that the spider monkey lived between five and eight years and that it died after it was buried alive.
Prior to captivity, the animal lived in a humid environment, consuming a diet made up of plants and roots.
After it was captured, its diet changed, consuming corn and chili peppers, which is what people of the Mesoamerican area ate at that time.
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“Hands bound behind its back and tethered feet indicate en vivo burial, common among human and animal sacrifices at Teotihuacan," the authors wrote of its death, referring to being buried while still alive.
The spider monkey appears to have been a gift of diplomacy between the Teotihuacan and the Mayans.