Antiquity thrived on stone attachment: A 1,600-year-old skull with stone-encrusted teeth has been found at the Mexican Ruins.

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a 1,600-year-old skeleton of a woman near the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan. The woman was between 35 and 40 years old when she died and had a deliberately elongated skull, with teeth encrusted with pyrite – a mineral that looks like gold, and a false tooth in the shape of a serration. According to researchers, her skull was elongated through a technique used only in the southern part of Mesoamerica, indicating that she was from a high social class.

The research team, led by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, named her the Woman of Tlailotlacan, after the location where she was found. Although the team did not provide any details on how the body modifications were made or why they were done, based on other cultures, artificial skull fractures may have been performed in infants to grow the skull outward, possibly to signal social status.

The woman’s unique dental features have also been observed in other archaeological findings in Mexico, suggesting that complex dental procedures were used for decorative purposes rather than as a caste method. The researchers suggested that an anesthetic may have been applied before drilling to alleviate pain.

Overall, the discovery sheds light on the practices and beliefs of the ancient Teotihuacan civilization and adds to our understanding of their social structures and customs.

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