1,400-Year-Old Zapotec Tomb Unearthed in Oaxaca, hailed as Mexico’s Most Significant Archaeological Find in a Decade
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A remarkably well-preserved Zapotec tomb dating back to 600 AD has been discovered in San Pablo Huitzo, Oaxaca, Mexico, prompting excitement among archaeologists and officials who are calling it the most important archaeological revelation in the country in the last ten years. The find, designated Tomb 10, offers unprecedented insight into the rituals, symbolism, and funerary practices of the ancient Zapotec civilization.
The discovery came following an anonymous report of looting at the site in 2025, according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The tomb is located on a quarry hill in San Pablo Huitzo, a Zapotec town from the Late Classic era.
“It is the most relevant archaeological discovery of the last decade in Mexico, due to the level of conservation and information it provides,” stated president Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on Friday morning. The age of the tomb suggests it was constructed as a ritual site or place of veneration for zapotec ancestors.
Architectural Significance and Symbolic Imagery
Tomb 10 is distinguished by its unique architecture, most notably the owl carved at its entrance. According to the Zapotec worldview, the owl represents the night, death, and power. Beneath the owl’s beak, archaeologists discovered a painted face believed to be a portrait of a Zapotec lord, to whom the tomb was dedicated. Officials believe descendants would have turned to this figure as an intercessor with the divinities.
Flanking the entrance are depictions of male and female figures, perhaps representing ancestors buried at the site. Inside, an antechamber features a frieze on a lintel adorned with stone tombstones engraved with calendrical names. The funerary chamber itself boasts walls covered in a mural painted in ocher, white, green, red, and blue. This mural depicts a procession of figures carrying bags of copal and walking towards the tomb’s entrance.
Conservation Efforts and Ongoing Research
An interdisciplinary team from the INAH oaxaca Center is currently undertaking extensive conservation, protection, and research work at the site. The team is focused on stabilizing the delicate mural painting, which is threatened by root intrusion, insects, and environmental fluctuations.
Researchers are also conducting detailed analyses of the ceramics, iconography, and epigraphy found within the tomb, as well as physical anthropology studies. These efforts aim to deepen understanding of the rituals, symbols, and funerary practices associated with this significant archaeological site.
This discovery follows closely on the heels of another find in Oaxaca, where more than 60 archaeological pieces were located in San Pedro Jaltepetongo just days prior.
The unusual state of conservation of Tomb 10 in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca promises to reshape our understanding of the Zapotec culture and its complex beliefs.
Why was the tomb discovered? The tomb was discovered following an anonymous report of looting at the site in 2025. This prompted inquiry by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Who was involved? Key players include the anonymous informant, archaeologists and researchers from the INAH Oaxaca Center, President Claudia Sheinbaum pardo, and potentially descendants of the Zapotec lord interred within the tomb.
What was discovered? A remarkably well
