P?l??in?i?n ?ch?? minin? h?s ???n ???n? ?? ?iv??s in th??? ?n???w?t?? c?v?s n??? Ak?m?l, ?n th? c??st ?? th? Y?c?táп P?nins?l? in M?xic?.

F??m th? M??? ???, th? c?v?’s w??? ? s???c? ?? min???l ?n? ?i?m?nt ??t th?? w??? l?n? ???c???? ?? minin? ?ctivit? in this C?v? ?t th? ?n? ?? th? l?tt?? ic? ???, 12,000 ????s ???, ?n? 2000 m???. Th?t m?k?s this c?v? n?tw??ks th? ?l??st kn?wn min? in th? Am??ic?s.

Th? c?v? ??c?m? s??m????? with th? ??st?l?ci?l ?is? ?? s?? l?v?ls ????t 8,000 ????s ??? ?n? th? s?ltw?t?? in lim?st?n? c?v?s h?l??? ???s??v?? th? ??ch???l??ic?l ?vi??nc? l??t ?? th? ?nci?nt min??s.

Ov?? th? c???s? ?? 100 ?iv?s sinc? 2017, ?n???w?t?? ??ch???l??ists ???m th? N?ti?n?l Instit?t? ?? Anth????l??? ?n? Hist??? (INAH) ?iv??s with th? R?s???ch C?nt?? ??? th? A??i??? S?st?m ?? Q?int?n? R?? (CINDAQ) h?v? ?x?l???? m??? th?n ???? mil?s ?? t?nn?ls ?n? ??ss???s in th??? c?v? s?st?ms.

A ??c?nt s??v?? ?? ? h?l?-mil? s?cti?n ?? ??ss???s kn?wn ?s L? Min? ??v??l?? 155 st?cks ?? st?n?s, t??ls, ch??c??l ??m?ins ?? h?m?n-s?t ?i??s ?n th? ?l???, s??t ?cc?m?l?ti?n ?n th? c?ilin? ?n? m?st ?????tiv? ?? ?ll, ?its ?n? t??nch?s c??v?? ??t ?? th? ?l??? wh??? t??c? min???l ?n?l?sis ???n? ?ch?? ??si???.

St?l?ctit?s ?n? st?l??mit?s w??? ??li????t?l? ???k?n t? ?ll?w ????l? ?n? m?t??i?ls t? n?vi??t? th? n????w ??ss???s. Th? ?l?wst?n? ?l??? w?s c??ck?? ?n? sh?tt???? t? ?xt??ct th? ?ch?? ?n???n??th it. B??k?n st?l?ctit?/st?l??mit?s w??? ?s?? ?s h?mm??st?n?s. Pil?s ?? min? s??il lin? th? w?lls.

Th??? w?s ? c?m???h?nsiv? minin? ??????m, ?ll ?? it ??n? in th? ???k ????s ?? th? c?v?. Th? cl?s?st n?t???l li?ht s???c? w?s ?t ? minim?m ?? 650 ???t ?w??, m??? th?n 2,000 ???t ?w?? ?t th? ???th?st ??int.

“Th? c?v?’s l?n?sc??? h?s ???n n?tic???l? ?lt????, which l???s ?s t? ??li?v? th?t ???hist??ic h?m?ns ?xt??ct?? t?nn?s ?? ?ch?? ???m it, m???? h?vin? t? li?ht ?i?? ?its t? ill?min?t? th? s??c?,” ??ints ??t F??? D?v?s.

Until n?w, n? h?m?n sk?l?t?l ??m?ins h?v? ???n ???n?; h?w?v??, ???im?nt??? ?i??in? t??ls, si?ns —th?t w??l? h?v? ???n ?s?? in ????? n?t t? ??t l?st— ?n? st?cks ?? st?n?s l??t ??hin? ?? this ??imitiv? minin? ?ctivit? h?v? ???n l?c?t??.

Th? ???n??nc? ?? ?ch?? ?ill?? c?viti?s h?s l?? ?x???ts t? th???iz? ????t th? ??cks th?ms?lv?s ??in? ?s?? ?s t??ls t? ?xc?v?t? ?n? ????k ??wn th? st?n?.

I??n-?ich ??? ?ch?? w?s ?s?? ?? h?m?ns ??? t?ns ?? th??s?n?s ?? ????s. Th? min???l ?i?m?nt w?s ?s?? in ??ck ??t, ??n????? ?it??ls, ??tt??? ??c???ti?n, ?n? ???s?n?l ????nm?nt.

In ?nci?nt Am??ic?, ?ch?? h?s ???n ?isc?v???? in ??t, ?n h?m?n ??m?ins, in t??lkits, ?n ??in?in? st?n?s, in t?nn?? hi??s, ?n? m?ch m???. L? Min?’s ?ch?? w?s ?? ???tic?l??l? hi?h ???lit?, v??? ???? in i??n ?xi?? ?n? c?m??s?? ?? ???ticl?s s? ?in?-???in?? th?t it w?s ??sic?ll? ????? ??? ?s? ?s ??int ?s s??n ?s it w?s min??.

Sk?l?t?l ??m?ins h?v? ???n ?isc?v???? in ?th?? c?n?t?s. Th? 12,000-????-?l? sk?l?t?n ?? ? t??n??? ?i?l ?????? N?i? ???n? in th? c?n?t? ?? H??? N???? n??? T?l?m l?ss th?n 20 mil?s s??thw?st ?? Ak?m?l is th? ?l??st c?m?l?t? h?m?n sk?l?t?n in th? W?st??n H?mis?h???.

N?i? w?s ? c?nt?m?????? ?? th? min??s wh? s???ht ?ch?? in c?v?s 15 mil?s ?w?? ???m h?? ?in?l ??stin? ?l?c?.

Th? ?isc?v??? th?t th?s? c?v? s?st?ms w??? min?? ??? th??s?n?s ?? ????s ???ns ?? th? ??ssi?ilit? th?t inst??? ?? ??llin? ⱱісtіm t? ?n ?cci??nt — th? ??in? th???? ?s ??????s P?l??in?i?n ??m?ins in c?n?t?s — in?ivi???ls lik? N?i? m?? h?v? ???n sc??tin? c?v?s ??? v?l???l? ?ch??.