The University of Houston’s Diane and Arlen Chase uncovered a 1,700‑year‑old tomb at Caracol in Belize that Archaeology Magazine named one of the top 10 finds of 2025. The burial has been identified as Te' Kab Chaak, Caracol’s founding ruler, and is dated to about 350 AD. Artifacts include ceramics, jewelry and a reconstructed jade-and-shell burial mask indicating royal status. Researchers are awaiting radiocarbon and bone analyses to learn more about the ruler’s life and regional connections.
UH Professors Unearth 1,700‑Year‑Old Mayan Tomb — Named a Top 10 Find of 2025
Caana, Maya for "Sky Place," rises more than 43 meters above the plaza. This architectural complex, consisting of four palace complexes and three temples is one of the most elaborate constructions known from the Classic era Southern Maya lowlands. (Caracol Archeological Project)
Two University of Houston scholars have been credited with one of Archaeology Magazine’s top 10 discoveries of 2025 after uncovering a 1,700-year-old Mayan burial at the long-running Caracol excavations in Belize.
Discovery: UH Provost Diane Chase and anthropology professor Arlen Chase located the tomb in July following roughly 40 years of excavation at Caracol. The team identified the burial as that of Te' Kab Chaak, the founding ruler of Caracol’s royal dynasty, a rare case in which archaeologists can attach a specific name to an early Mesoamerican leader.
What Was Found
Inside the tomb the researchers recovered finely made ceramic vessels, personal jewelry, and fragments of jade and shell. The team painstakingly reassembled the jade and shell fragments into what they interpret as a burial mask — an artifact that provided strong evidence for the occupant’s royal status.
Historical Significance
The burial dates to roughly 350 AD and is one of three Caracol-era discoveries that raise the possibility of earlier contact between the Maya and Teotihuacan, a major city-state located more than 700 miles to the northwest near modern Mexico City. According to the University of Houston, a foot journey between Teotihuacan and Caracol would have taken about 153 days each way — an indication of the significant distances involved in ancient Mesoamerican interactions.
"We would not have identified the tomb as a ruler without that mask," said Arlen Chase, underscoring how material culture can confirm status and identity centuries later.
Next Steps
The team is awaiting radiocarbon dating and laboratory analysis of the bones recovered from the burial chamber. These studies could clarify the tomb’s precise date and provide insights into the ruler’s diet, health and lifestyle — and contribute to a broader understanding of regional connections during the Classic period.
Local Perspective: Melissa M. Badillo, director of the Institute of Archaeology in Belize, said the magazine’s recognition "brings so much awareness to the research at Caracol which continues to highlight not only the history of the site, but also the important regional relationships that were a part of its development."
This discovery highlights both the longevity of the Caracol project and the expanding picture of interregional ties in Classic-period Mesoamerica.
