Ancient Stone Crocodile Carving Answers Some Historical Questions but Raises More

The ancient town of Lambityeco was thought to have close connections with neighboring Monte Albán, but the unearthing of an ancient artifact reveals that Lambityeco citizens may have been trying to distance themselves from the larger town.

Archaeologists from the Field Museum worked with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History on the excavation site where the carved stone crocodile was dug up. The ruins of Lambityeco were initially discovered in the 1960s, and are dated to AD 500-850.

The archaeologists leading the new excavations are Gary Feinman and Linda Nicholas of the Field Museum. A wider area is being excavated, which has led to new discoveries that are giving more in depth information about the history and culture of Lambityeco.

Excavations completed during the 20th century unearthed Labityeco artifacts that imitated ones from Monte Albán, as well as ones that different significantly. Researchers previously thought the differences indicated differing time periods. Recent analysis shows that the towns are from the same time period. Researchers now believe the difference in artifacts occurred from damaged relations between the towns.

"During this time period, the relationship between Lambityeco and Monte Albán shifted," Field Museum MacArthur Curator of Anthropology Gary Feinman said in a news release. "The people of Lambityeco began to remodel their buildings and reorient the use of space in order to differentiate themselves from Monte Albán."

The carved stone crocodile is significant because of its location and positioning, as well as its individual attributes. Nicholas believes that the stone was moved from its original position during a reconstruction that made the Lambityeco building layout different from the Monte Albán one.

Few similar carvings remain from prehispanic Mexico. Another major recent discovery for the era was a hidden manuscript that only became visible thanks to advances in imaging technology.