Archaeologists have discovered an ancient palace complex in southern Mexico that appears to have been dedicated to a fearsome Mayan death god who ruled over a hellish empire but was also the god of farts. The monstrous deity's name, known as Ah Puch or Cizin, has been translated as “stench,” “flatulence,” and “the stinking one.”
The discovery was made during the construction of a train station near the ancient Mayan site of Calakmul, which was one of the largest and most powerful pre-Columbian city-states that ever existed in the Mayan lowlands. According to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the complex was most likely connected to a smaller settlement called Balamkú, which would have been heavily influenced by Calakmul.
In a statement from the INAH, the discovery is described as the complex probably dating to the Early Classic period, which lasted from about 250 to 600 AD. Among the most notable structures at the site is a small temple that researchers believe was built in honor of Old Stinky.
During excavations in the temple, a circular structure was discovered, in the center of which were a number of human remains, including teeth and skull fragments. In addition to these gruesome remains, the archaeologists also found a 25-centimeter-high limestone statue of Ah Puch.
Ah Puch, the god of death and destruction, supposedly ruled over a plane in the Mayan underworld known as Xibalbá, which roughly translates to “place of terror.” According to legend, the terrifying deity was responsible for burning the souls of the dead, starting with their mouths and anuses for some reason.
Providing further details on the new discovery, the INAH explains that the statue depicts Ah Puch with a “large phallus” and a deformed skull. The figure also appears to be wearing a skull mask, a nose ornament and a breastplate, consistent with the usual depiction of the god of death.
The presence of this sculpture strongly suggests that the temple was intended as a place of ritual worship of the flatulence deity. One can only imagine what it must have smelled like when the place was in use.
