A recent excavation in the Chiapas highlands has yielded a pair of remarkably preserved ceremonial 'paws' carved from stone and inlaid with obsidian blades. These artifacts are believed to be the earliest known precursors to the Jaguar Dance, a tradition that persists in various forms across Mesoamerica today.
The ritual objects were found within a dedicated ceremonial platform, surrounded by offering bowls containing residue of sacred resins. Researchers suggest this find confirms that the feline-themed masquerades and combat rituals performed today have roots stretching back over two millennia to the Preclassic Maya period.