exican archaeologists unearthed ancient ruins with signs of Mayan culture as well as “never before seen” characteristics in the eastern state of Veracruz.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the discovery “very relevant” during her morning press conference on Friday, saying her government would allocate resources for the investigation and restoration of the site.
The site includes a circular stone platform unlike any other unearthed in that part of Mexico.
Researchers also discovered a monolith depicting a figure with potential Mayan features, the National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) said.
“It’s a unique, unprecedented finding,” said Lino Espinoza Garcia, an archaeologist for the INAH and one of the coordinators for the Campo Viejo site near the town of Coatepec.
Dating back to the Early Classic period between 200 and 600 AD, the pre-Hispanic ruins include a flagstone and limestone platform adorned with almost squared lines or figures as well as the circular stones.
View of an archaeological site in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico, on June 18, 2026. Mexican archaeologists have discovered the remains of a structure and a sculpture bearing features similar to those of the Maya culture and other characteristics described as “never before seen” in the eastern state of Veracruz. (AFP/Marco Antonio Martinez)
These attributes have never been recorded in this region of Mexico, the INAH said in a statement.
It’s “a very particular structure,” said Alberto Vazquez, the other archaeologist responsible for the site. “We don’t have any records so far of a correlation with other [ancient] sites.”
The monolith stands 1.88 meters high, 1.47 m wide at its broadest point and 68 centimeters at the narrowest.
The stone depicts a scene of a symbolic character, according to experts.
“They are two characters who are requesting something, they have a bowl and are receiving something, we think it’s a liquid. Obviously, in that context, it’s a divine liquid, we think it would be water,” Espinoza detailed.
The archaeologist believes the image could reflect the era of a great drought in the region, which could explain why two members of the elite, one of them with Mayan traits, are depicted receiving the fluid from a divine entity.
