Mexico uncovers 12,000-year-old underwater mine
A 12,000-year-old ochre mine
has been discovered underwater
Location: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Courtesy: CINDAQ
Scientists diving into submerged caves
found an ambitious mining operation
for the earth mineral pigment red ochre
which was prized by prehistoric peoples
Courtesy: National Institute of Anthropology and History
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY, ROBERTO JUNCO, SAYING:
"It already allows us to begin to understand some of the dynamics of these early societies. What were they doing with this ochre? They used it to paint themselves as some African tribes do today. They used it for medical purposes, because ochre has certain elements that fight bacteria. They used it to symbolize. I love to think that this ochre was the beginning of the first artistic manifestations."
The caves were abandoned for millennia
before becoming submerged
roughly 8,000 years ago
More than 100 dives and 600 hours
across 4.3 miles of subterranean passages
went into discovering the artifacts