Liquid mercury found in Teotihuacan pyramid

Guardian : Archaeologists excavating the third largest pyramid in the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan have come across a large reservoir of liquid mercury in a newly discovered chamber. Led by Sergio Gómez, the team has spent the last six years clearing a tunnel discovered in the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent in 2003. In November 2014, they announced that three rooms had been found at the end of the 300-ft (91-m) passageway. The presence of liquid mercury has been reported in other Mesoamerican ruins, but the metallic element had no known practical use for the ancient civilizations. Rather, because of mercury’s shimmering, reflective qualities, it may have served a symbolic purpose by representing an underworld river or lake. Gómez says that he believes the discovery could be a sign that the team is close to finding the first royal tomb of the unnamed culture that built the city of Teotihuacan, which was given that name by the later Aztec civilization.