Archeologists Unearth God Of Farts Temple, Here’s What They Found
In the near future, the users of the Mayan Train—which is currently in construction—will be able to admire an ancient temple complex located some two miles from the Calakmul station. The temple was stumbled upon during the archeological prospection that accompanied the construction of Section 7 of the railway line, and it was dedicated to the Mayan’s terrifying death god known as Ah Puch, also known as the god of farts. The archeological team found human remains as well.
The Stinking One
The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and INAH’s Campeche Center consider it necessary to safeguard this architectural complex as part of Mexico’s cultural heritage.
The name of Ah Puch, also known as Cizin, is often translated as “stench,” “flatulence,” and “The Stinking One,” and the deity was also known as the god of farts, and the ruler of the hellish realm.
The Complex
The temple complex was discovered during the construction of a train station and network near Calakmul, a known ancient Maya site. Calakmul was the largest and the most powerful pre-Columbian city in the Maya lowlands.
The researchers believe that the recently discovered temple was most probably linked to Balamku, a smaller settlement that was heavily influenced by Calakmul. The god of farts temple complex appears to date back to the Early Classic Period, lasting between 250 and 600 BCE.
The Death God
The entire complex includes a small temple that was built in honor of the god of farts, as well as a circular feature at the center of the temple, with numerous human remains and fragments of skull and teeth.
Along with the unsettling remains, the archeologists also uncovered a 10-inch limestone statue of Ah Puch, sporting a skull mask, a nose adornment, and a breastplate, which is the most commonly known depiction of the death god.
A God Of Many Disturbing Things
The god of farts was also the god of death and earthquakes and one of the most important death gods in the Maya culture. According to the Lacandon myth, when a person dies, Ah Puch burns their soul on his mouth and his anus, and when the soul complains, he douses it in cold water, causing the soul to complain further.
The cycle is then repeated until the soul is disintegrated and sent to god Sucunyum, who cleans the soul so that the soul can continue its journey.
Many Different Depictions
The god of farts is often depicted with outpouring swirls of blood and rotting matter spewing from his abdomen, despite the fact that he’s adorned by a breastplate and jewelry—one of which is a necklace made of embodied eyes hanging by their nerve cords.
Considering that he’s actually a rotting corpse, some depictions feature the god of farts with a bloated stomach. Ah Puch is often accompanied by all manner of horror-inducing pests, like spiders, centipedes, and scorpions, but also vultures, owls, and bats.
INAH now hopes to rebuild the temple complex dedicated to the god of farts into an interactive museum for visitors to enjoy.
Source: INAH
