Archaeologists Uncover Long Lost Tomb of Mayan King of CaracolJennifer M. Wood
Men's JournalFri, July 11, 2025 at 6:42 PM EDT
2 min read
The mysteries surrounding the life and death of Te K’ab Chaak, the first ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Caracol in Belize, are about to get some answers.
More than 40 years after uncovering Caana, the central architectural complex at Caracol, Belize, husband-and-wife archaeologists Arlen and Diane Chase have made a pivotal discovery in their exploration of the ancient ruins of Caracol. The couple and their research team have uncovered the burial tomb of Te K’ab Chaak.
“The discovery is the first identifiable ruler’s tomb found in over four decades of work in Caracol, the largest Maya archaeological site in Belize and in the Maya lowlands,” according to a press release from the University of Houston.
Chaak, who ascended to the throne to become the city’s first king in 331 AD, is believed to have died in 350 AD. Based on what the Chases and their team discovered, Chaak “was interred at the base of a royal family shrine with 11 pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, jadeite jewelry, a mosaic jadeite mask, Pacific spondylus shells, and other perishable materials.”
Based on their findings, the Chases guess that Chaak “was of advanced age” at the time of his burial. He is believed to have been 5’7” tall and had no remaining teeth.
Archaeologists Arlen and Diane Chase. University of Houston
While the discovery has allowed researchers to answer some questions, it has also prompted the asking of other queries.
“One question that has perplexed Maya archaeologists since the 1960s is whether a new political order was introduced to the Maya area by Mexicans from Teotihuacan,” Diane Chase said.
“Whether this event represented actual Teotihuacanos in the Maya area or Maya using central Mexican symbols is still debated,” she continued. One thing she does know is that “The Caracol archaeological data suggests that the situation was far more complicated.”
Even following Chaak’s passing, the dynasty he founded continued on for more than 450 years—making the discovery even more important to tracing the history of the civilization.
“Research continues on the contents of the chamber with the reconstruction of the jadeite death mask and with ancient DNA and stable isotope analysis of the skeletal material,” the statement says.
The Chases will continue researching their discovery and plan to present the results of their findings at New Mexico’s Santa Fe Institute in August.
Archaeologists Uncover Long Lost Tomb of Mayan King of Caracol first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 11, 2025
