MEXICO CITY.- A recent discovery of human remains at a construction site in Mexico City's Colonia Guerrero has confirmed the long-lost location of the Santa Paula cemetery, a significant burial ground that operated from the late 18th to the late 19th centuries. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) validated the findings on July 11, 2025, after a citizen report.

Salvador Pulido Méndez, head of INAH's Archaeological Rescue Directorate, stated that the identification of the cemetery was largely based on extensive archaeological salvage work conducted between 2014 and 2015. That earlier project, prompted by a construction permit application, led to the meticulous excavation of 365 complete skeletons.

"This is a unique collection that reflects a social situation of Mexico City during a specific period," Pulido Méndez explained. "There are skeletal remains of women and men of different ages. It is a representative collection of the population, and that is precisely one of the characteristics for it to be treated as a major archaeological collection."

Beyond the human remains, archaeologists have also uncovered various artifacts, including pottery, predominantly from the viceregal era, but also some pre-Hispanic pieces, suggesting the cemetery might have been built over an earlier indigenous settlement. Remnants of coffins, alongside metal crosses, buttons, buckles, and rings, provide further insight into the burial practices of the time.

The excavations have revealed distinct layers of occupation, spanning from the early 18th century to the 1840s, offering a broad chronological view of the site's use. While recent observations of bones in disturbed soil at the site confirmed their origin from the cemetery, their original context has been lost.

INAH is now in communication with the construction company to organize a new phase of excavations. This collaboration aims to explore previously unexamined areas of the site and ensure that no other historical vestiges are inadvertently damaged during ongoing construction.

"During the excavations we will carry out, we expect to find historical and archaeological vestiges again, human remains in anatomical position, along with the implements with which they were buried," Pulido Méndez noted.

The Santa Paula cemetery operated from 1786 to 1871 and was one of Mexico City's earliest civil cemeteries. For many years prior, burials were primarily conducted in church atriums and parish courtyards. INAH emphasized its role in safeguarding these unique historical remains, considering each individual's contribution to the country's historical and bioarchaeological heritage.