This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In a shallow cave high on a cliff in Chalcatzingo, Mexico, scientists documented three red glyphs in the 1980s, but the paintings received relatively little attention. Fast forward to the present day, and researchers have returned to the cave to take a closer look at what the ancient painted symbols mean.
The cave, known as Cave 19, is in a region where people from the powerful ancient city of Teotihuacan established settlements and carried out rituals. The Teotihuacan Empire flourished centuries before the Aztecs and is known for its giant pyramids, culture and art. The images have faded over time, and some parts are now difficult to see with the naked eye.
To reveal more detail and understand the paintings' meaning, a research team led by Christophe Helmke at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, traveled to the cave in 2022. They mapped the site and took detailed photographs. Because some of the paint had degraded, they later used digital photo enhancement software to bring out hidden details.
The scientists then compared the glyphs with Teotihuacan writing and artwork. Their interpretations of what these rock paintings are and could represent are detailed in a study published in the journal Antiquity. One image features a stylized mountain flanked by speech scrolls, which researchers interpret as a place name meaning Singing Mountain.
This exact same name appears in murals miles away in the heart of Teotihuacan, suggesting people traveled all that way on sacred pilgrimages to visit this hill. Another glyph features a beaded necklace, a cloak and a pointed dart. Because these items were part of warrior attire at Teotihuacan, researchers suggest the glyph could refer to a warrior title.
The third and largest design consists of a rectangular frame decorated with five-pointed stars, centered directly over a low bedrock shelf. Because the cave wall and ceiling above this shelf show heavy blackening from fire, the researchers believe the space was used for fire rituals, possibly involving the burning of incense or the cremation of a funerary bundle. "We therefore hypothesize that this frame and the modified bedrock shelf served as the background and elevated base for a Teotihuacan pyrolytic ritual." In addition to filling in some missing details about these ancient rock paintings, the study could tell us more about Teotihuacan.
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