In Coatepec, INAH discovers ceremonial plaza and stele with never-before-seen features

In Coatepec, Veracruz, INAH archaeologists made a significant discovery, unearthing a ceremonial plaza and a monolithic stele with never-before-seen characteristics for the region. The findings, which predate the Christian era by approximately 1,500 years, could provide new insights into the societies that inhabited the area before the Conquest.

Both the structure and the sculpture, reminiscent of nearby Maya settlements, were found in excellent condition. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) stated that the discovery offers an opportunity to explore a unique regional expression that has been little studied and difficult to connect with established traditions of the Gulf Coast.

INAH archaeologists Lino Espinoza García and Alberto Vázquez Domínguez explained that the settlement, dating back to the Protoclassic period (200 B.C. to 200 A.D.), saw continuous habitation until the colonial era began in the early 1500s. The platform, measuring 30 meters long by 12 meters wide, was constructed with white slabs and blocks of dressed limestone, featuring a textured finish similar to plaster.

The ornamentation includes square-like figures and circular stones on two sides, attributes not previously recorded in the region. The monolithic sculpture stands 1.88 meters tall and 1.47 meters wide, adorned with engravings depicting two elite figures receiving a fluid from a divine entity on a higher plane. Field excavations will conclude this month, with laboratory analyses set to continue until early 2027.