University of Houston Uncovers 1,700-Year-Old Maya Ruler’s Tomb at Caracol

July 10, 2025
by Belize Hub +

Archaeologists at the University of Houston have made a groundbreaking discovery at Caracol, the largest Maya site in Belize and one of the region’s major lowland cities. After more than four decades of work at this enigmatic site in Belize’s Cayo District, researchers have unearthed the tomb of Te K’ab Chaak—the first identifiable ruler of Caracol and founder of its royal dynasty.

Te K’ab Chaak, who ascended to the throne in 331 AD, is believed to have established the framework for a dynasty that would endure for over 460 years. His burial, located beneath a royal family shrine in the Northeast Acropolis, marks the first clear identification of a Maya ruler’s tomb at Caracol in all these years of excavation.

Rich Burial Contents Illuminate Early Maya Cosmology

Maya ruler tomb Caracol — Photo Credit by University of Houston

The interment of Te K’ab Chaak featured remarkable artifacts that reveal much about both Maya mortuary practices and interactions with distant Mesoamerican cultures. The chamber included eleven pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, exquisite jadeite jewelry, a mosaic jadeite death mask, and Pacific spondylus shells. Some pots displayed vivid iconography—one depicts a ruler brandishing a spear while receiving offerings. Another vase depicts the god Ek Chuah, patron of traders, surrounded by offerings, underscoring Caracol’s role in regional trade networks. Four pots show bound captives, and two are topped with lids shaped as coatimundi heads—a symbolic creature later adopted in the nomenclature of subsequent Caracol rulers.

Co-directed by Arlen F. Chase and Diane Z. Chase of the University of Houston, the excavation was made possible through collaboration with Belize’s Institute of Archaeology and generous funding from the Alphawood Foundation, University of Houston, Geraldine & Emory Ford Foundation, and KHR Family Fund.

Personal Details of a Long-Gone King

maya history belize — Photo by Institute of Archaeology (NICH) Belize

Osteological analysis indicates that Te K’ab Chaak was approximately 5′7″ tall, toothless, and likely of advanced age at his death. His burial dates to around 350 AD—positioning his reign amidst the emergence of cultural exchange between the Maya world and central Mexico’s powerhouse: Teotihuacan.

In fact, Caracol’s Northeast Acropolis reveals three high-status interments from roughly the same period. These tombs—Te K’ab Chaak’s, a cremation chamber dated around AD 350, and the burial of a woman—are all linked to early contact with central Mexican traditions.

Maya–Teotihuacan Contact: A Complex Relationship

Maya dynasty Caracol — Photo by Institute of Archaeology (NICH) Belize

A cremation found in 2010 at the Acropolis contained three individuals and an array of central Mexican ritual items: two large obsidian knives, atlatl darts, and green obsidian blades from Pachuca. Among these was a projectile tip typical of Teotihuacan warriors, suggesting adoption of Mexican burial rites by Maya elites.

“This individual may have been a Caracol royal envoy who lived in Teotihuacan and then journeyed home, bringing back foreign ritual customs,” explained Diane Chase. These discoveries predate the famed entry of Teotihuacan influence into the Maya region, dated to AD 378. They indicate a much earlier and nuanced pattern of cross-cultural interaction, especially among elite political circles.

Diplomatic Initiatives and Monumental Power

Caracol Maya Site Belize — Photo Credit by University of Houston

The Chases interpret these finds as evidence that early Maya rulers like Te K’ab Chaak were active participants in regional politics, forging formal diplomatic ties with distant polities. “Connections between central Mexico and the Maya were undertaken by the highest levels of society,” said Arlen Chase.

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Evidence of Caracol’s vibrant urban landscape and military power has continued to surface thanks to the Chases’ pioneering work. Utilizing LiDAR mapping from the 1980s onward, they revealed extensive causeway networks, reservoirs, and agricultural terraces—challenging the traditional view of Maya social structure and illustrating Caracol’s role as a political powerhouse capable of defeating rivals like Tikal in AD 562.

Looking Ahead

Te K’ab Chaak discovery — Photo by Institute of Archaeology (NICH) Belize

The reconstructed jadeite mask from Te K’ab Chaak’s tomb is currently being pieced together, while genetic and isotopic analyses are underway to pinpoint his origins and mobility. In August 2025, the Chases will present full details of these discoveries at a conference on Maya–Teotihuacan interaction hosted by the Santa Fe Institute.

From his humble rise in the early 4th century to his enduring legacy as founder of a centuries-long dynasty, the tomb of Te K’ab Chaak offers a rare glimpse into Caracol’s evolving role in regional geopolitics and cross-cultural alliances.