Authorities headed by the federal Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel, who asked permission from the ancestors with an offering of mezcal, yesterday went down to the 1,400-year-old mortuary enclosure recently discovered in the Etla Valley and which is considered the most important archaeological find in 10 years. Photo Jair Cabrera
Oaxaca, Oax., The federal Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, toured yesterday for the first time Tomb 10 of Huitzo, in Oaxaca, considered the most relevant find of the decade, accompanied by Joel Omar Vázquez, director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and the governor of the entity, Salomón Jara Cruz, as well as the archaeologists and specialists in charge of the project.
More than 1,400 years have passed since that tomb was opened, and “14 centuries later an owl still guards the place,” said the official, and narrated how that bird arrives at night and perches on a log, “watching over the rest of its ancestors,” which she showed in a video recorded by inhabitants of the town.
Accompanied by residents, municipal authorities, firefighters and Civil Protection, the head of Federal Culture descended about nine improvised steps to appreciate first-hand the mask that represents an owl, under which the face of a man can be seen, who could be the one to whom the tomb was dedicated and where red paint dating from the year 600 can still be seen.
That access, which is the main one of the tomb, is closed by a large stone and the smell of alcohol and sanitizers saturate that space.
So to go down 2.45 meters you must do it through the back of the figurehead, where a metal staircase takes the guests, including La Jornada, to the burial chamber, where part of the mural painting was observed, much of which is still sealed by salts and humidity predominates.
To go down, it is necessary to sanitize with alcohol, wear gloves and face masks for the safety of the venue, but also of those who enter, commented the restaurateurs Fa-nny Magaña Nieto and Cristian Hernández Ortega.
Before entering the millenary tomb, Curiel de Icaza blessed its access, for which he was served a horse of mezcal and threw it to the ground forming a cross at the request of the municipal authorities; then he descended to see first-hand the Zapotec vestiges, which remained hidden for generations.
The other officials were descending in pairs, because the space is still limited, as the rescue work continues in charge of INAH experts; An investigator from that agency took a moment before entering, raised his hands and asked permission from the wind, the earth and the Zapotecs, because he recognized that his entrance would be to a tomb that does not belong to him.
The excitement of the officials, researchers and residents was palpable in the air; also, that of visitors for having the privilege of appreciating fragments of history, while the inhabitants of Huitzo showed great pride in their Zapotec roots.
The locals were able to approach and take pictures of the outer figurehead with the owl, the joy was noticeable on their faces, they formed, and one by one they began to carefully go down the stairs to observe and photograph the piece, as well as the calendrical symbols, which very few eyes had witnessed in 14 centuries.
Source: La Jornada
