Archaeologists Discover Rare Scorpion-Shaped Mound
A 1,400-year-old scorpion-shaped effigy mound, discovered in the Tehuacán Valley, might have served as an astronomical observatory, researchers say.
The mound is strategically placed in the center of the largest preserved prehistoric irrigation system in Mesoamerica, comprising approximately 100 square kilometers of canals that have functioned continuously for more than 4,000 years.
- Located in the state of Puebla, about 160 miles southeast of Mexico City.
- Effigy mounds are common in the midwestern United States, but extremely uncommon in Mesoamerica.
The discovery has been described as “unprecedented”
Archaeologists came across the mound and plaza complex in 2004 while conducting a survey to document the prehistoric canal systems.
Author summary: Archaeologists uncover a rare scorpion-shaped mound in Mesoamerica.