MEXICO CITY.- The 25 Late Post Classic Prehispanic burials and associated offerings found in Cholula Historical Center, in Puebla, are result of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) archaeological salvage that ended on July 27th 2009.

During civil works conducted by Cholula City Hall in May 2009, archaeological vestiges were discovered. INAH was notified immediately and began salvage, which required temporal suspension of municipal work for over 40 days.

During that time, 20 complete human skeletons with their offerings were rescued and registered, as well as 5 bone concentrations, one of them accompanied with wind musical instruments.

Eduardo Merlo, director of Puebla INAH Center Archaeology Department, informed that all the material was registered in situ, and then moved to Cholula Site Museum laboratories, where an inform is being elaborated.

Human rests were found in seating position with the arms closed in front of the chest, most of them facing north; others were found lying down.

The remains were part of some of the last Tolteca-Chichimeca seigniories; fragments of decorated ceramics were found with them, as well as pots and plates, a black bead necklace, and obsidian arrowheads.

Musical instruments found with bone concentrations integrated by inferior jawbones, are zoomorphic and anthropomorphic whistles, flutes and 3 ocarinas with the forms of a dog, a monkey and an owl.

Vestiges of a wall and foundations, as well as an adobe block with rests of mural painting with black, red and white pigments were found at the excavation.

The adobe block was covered with lime and moved with the other vestiges to Cholula Archaeological Zone. The wall was covered again and its study will be taken up again later.

Eduardo Merlo informed that legal departments of San Andres and San Pedro Cholula municipalities have received the regulations project elaborated by INAH that considers and regulates civil work performed by municipalities, offering a tool that helps preserving regional historical and cultural heritage.