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