Candelaria Cave

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Candelaria Cave

Cueva de la Candelaria
Detail of a skull found in Cueva de la Candelaria. Wears a head ornament made from vegetal fibers and seashell beads. Currently displayed at INAH National Anthropology Museum.
Location	Candelaria, Coahuila, Aridoamerica  Mexico
Coordinates	25°25′16″N 100°57′40″W / 25.42111°N 100.96111°W / 25.42111; -100.96111
History
Periods	1200 - 1500 CE. (Postclassical)
Cultures	Chichimeca – Coahuilteca

Cueva de la Candelaria (Candelaria Cave) is an archaeological site located the Mexican state of Coahuila. It is a cave that was used as cemetery by nomad visitors. Early site research was made in 1953 and there was a later season in 1954. As a result of these investigations, many materials were recovered and are kept by Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH).

Cueva de la Candelaria findings are interesting by the large amount of textiles found on this site. They constitute a source of important information about nomad Aridoamerica cultures. According to the researchers, the tissues style is very similar to baskets fabrication, but lack of stone tools artifacts such as the atlatl makes difficult the identification of Cueva de la Candelaria occupants.

State history mentions on a smaller scale to nomadic groups that inhabited this wide southern Aridoamerica region, these groups were generically called Chichimeca, but also have their specific names, such as the coahuiltecos, huachichiles, irritilas and Tobosos.^[1]

Little is known about them, historical sources hardly speak of their customs, languages or dialects, or traditions, although some vestiges left for posterity are already known. Archaeological evidence displayed in caves show these were used as houses, as well as burial with tools, clothing and gifts have been discovered. Most popular sites are the Cueva de la Candelaria, La Espantosa y La Chuparrosa.^[1]

The Cueva de la Candelaria occupants used to bury their dead in packages containing not only the body but body ornaments made of natural fibre, leather, shells, and feathers, as well as other pieces of clothing and footwear. Everything is wrapped in a Cotton or cassava woven blanket, and tied with twine. Most of the packages of Cueva de la Candelaria were found incomplete, that were opened perhaps by looters.