Tomb of Caracol’s Founding Maya King Discovered After Four Decades of Excavation

Archaeologists from the University of Houston have identified the tomb of Te K'ab Chaak, the founding ruler of the ancient Maya city of Caracol in present-day Belize. The discovery, announced on 10 July 2025 by husband-and-wife researchers Arlen and Diane Chase, marks the first time in more than four decades of excavation at the site that a clearly identifiable royal burial has been found.

Te K'ab Chaak, whose name translates roughly as Tree Branch Rain God, took the throne around 331 AD and established a dynasty that would rule Caracol for more than 460 years. He was laid to rest at the base of a royal family shrine in a tomb dated to about 350 AD. The burial chamber contained eleven pottery vessels, carved bone tubes, jadeite jewelry, Pacific spondylus shells, and a mosaic death mask made of jade, only the second such mask ever found at the site. Several vessels were painted with images of rulers, deities, and bound captives.

“The discovery, announced on 10 July 2025 by husband-and-wife researchers Arlen and Diane Chase, marks the first time in more than four decades of excavation at the site that a clearly identifiable royal burial has been found.”

Researchers estimated the ruler was of advanced age at death, stood roughly five feet seven inches tall, and had lost all of his teeth. The presence of three sets of jade ear flares was described as highly unusual, signaling the exceptional status of the individual.

The timing of the burial, around 350 AD, is significant because it predates the recognized arrival of influence from the great central Mexican city of Teotihuacan in the Maya region, suggesting early diplomatic contact between the two cultures. Diane Chase noted that whether the connection represented actual Teotihuacanos present in the Maya area or Maya rulers adopting central Mexican symbols remains debated, but the find pushes evidence of long-distance interaction earlier than many had assumed.

Caracol was one of the largest and most powerful Maya cities, sprawling across the jungle of present-day Belize at its height. Identifying the tomb of its founding ruler gives researchers a rare anchor point for understanding how the dynasty began and how it positioned itself within the wider ancient American world. The Chases continue to study the chamber, including reconstruction of the death mask and DNA and stable isotope analysis of the remains. Their work was later honored when Archaeology magazine named the find one of the top ten discoveries of 2025, recognition of a patient, decades-long collaboration that has steadily illuminated one of the Maya world's great cities.