Tikal Burial 196 Tomb of the Jade Jaguar - Maya Archaeology

211
relatively far from the body and clearly going up and over.
This position is indicated by the remains of the hide where
it has fallen back over some shells. Also, on the south side
of the body there were many places preserved where the cloth
turned over. Although the author thought while excavating the
tomb that the hide had covered the body, evidence from other
tombs supports this belief. In addition, over almost all
of the jade body ornaments there was the trace of a hide or
cloth. Under most of the shells, and over none of them, was
a trace of a hide or cloth which showed that the shells, and
the jade beads associated with them, had been used to “weight
down” the bundle. The approximate limits of the cover cloth
are indicated by dotted lines labeled #64.
Area of Gold Colored Residue Plan #62
Around the skull there was cinnabar and a trace of rot
over the first layer of hide. Underneath the hide was a layer
of several millimeters thick of dark brown rot. Below this
was what looked like the remains of a golden-brown skin,
forming a circle around the head, the circumference being
about 15 cm. from the skull and with a very clearly defined
limit. This layer is probably the rotted remains of part of
the headdress.
Cinnabar
Traces of red paint were first noticed on the walls and