Researchers have identified at least 55 scenes across 25 archaeological sites in Hidalgo depicting encounters with the lord of the underworld, offering new insight into ancient Mesoamerican beliefs surrounding death, ancestors and supernatural forces.
A recurring narrative preserved in centuries-old rock art across the Mexican state of Hidalgo may depict an ancient journey to meet the lord of the underworld, according to research presented at an international conference on funerary heritage.
Archaeologist Alfonso Torres Rodríguez, a researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) Hidalgo Centre, has documented at least 55 examples of the imagery at 25 sites across the state.
Dating largely from between AD 350 and 750, the scenes provide evidence of how Mesoamerican communities understood death and the relationship between humans, ancestors and supernatural entities. Researchers say elements of the tradition may also have survived into contemporary ritual practices.
Torres Rodríguez presented his findings during the 10th International Colloquium on History, Architecture, Sculpture, Urban Planning and Funeral Customs, organised by Mexico's Ministry of Culture through INAH.
Warriors, Canids and the Lord of the Dead
The archaeologist has studied the images through what he describes as a “graphic syntagm” — a collection of visual elements arranged in a recognisable structure to communicate a particular narrative or meaning.
In many of the scenes, one or two figures interpreted as warriors are accompanied or guided by a canid towards another entity.
The figure they encounter may be associated with the moon, a funerary bundle or imagery suggesting descent, falling and ancient or subterranean spaces. Together, these characteristics have led researchers to interpret the destination figure as a representation of the lord of the underworld.
Examples have been documented at archaeological sites including Huapalcalco, Xihuingo, Dahñé and San Miguel de las Piedras.
Torres Rodríguez identified four principal arrangements within the scenes: one figure visiting another; one figure encountering two entities; two figures meeting a single entity; and a pair encountering two others.
Their geographical distribution also appears significant. Scenes showing two protagonists entering the encounter are more frequently found in the mountainous regions of eastern and southern Hidalgo. In the Mezquital Valley, representations featuring a single protagonist appearing before one or two entities are more common.
Three Faces of the Underworld
The figures being visited have been organised into three broad iconographic complexes.
The first, identified as the Tezcatlipoca-Huémac-Yaotl complex, includes figures displaying characteristics associated with warriors, snakeskin and unusually broad hands.
A second group, the Otontecuhtli-Tlotli-Mictlantecuhtli complex, is characterised by a seated entity associated with divine traditions of the Otomi communities of the mountainous region.
The third consists of representations of ancestors, particularly pairs of ancient beings found in both the mountain regions and the Mezquital Valley.
For Torres Rodríguez, one of the most important clues to interpreting the imagery is the recurring presence of pairs or twins.
These paired figures, he argues, should not be understood simply as duplicates. Instead, differences in their appearance, sex, function and symbolism suggest complementary identities.
One member of the pair may embody masculine, martial, solar and military qualities, while the other represents feminine, sacrificial, lunar and agricultural dimensions.
An Ancient Narrative That May Still Survive
The theme of twins confronting or interacting with the ruler of the world of the dead may have survived far beyond the period in which the rock art was created.
Torres Rodríguez drew parallels with therapeutic rituals practised by Otomi bädi, or healers, in Hidalgo's mountainous areas.
Within these traditions, a healer may establish contact with forces associated with another dimension but requires what is understood as a dual soul or “double heart” to undertake the encounter.
“If it does not have the character of twins, it cannot come into contact with the force of the underworld,” Torres Rodríguez said.
He explained that the encounter involves recovering nzahki, described as a “great force”, through an initial confrontation that can eventually develop into an alliance — a relationship he believes can also be recognised in the ancient cave and rock paintings.
The similarities suggest that the imagery is more than an isolated artistic motif. Instead, it may preserve elements of a much broader Mesoamerican conception of death, transformation and interaction between the living and supernatural worlds.
Death, Memory and Cultural Heritage
The colloquium concluded on 11 September 2026 with discussions examining death and funerary heritage through archaeology, architecture, sculpture, urban studies and other disciplines.
Valeria Valero Pié, INAH's National Coordinator of Historical Monuments, said the event enabled researchers to approach death, memory and cemeteries from different but complementary perspectives.
“The differences between our disciplines allow us to construct a broader view of a heritage that, by its very nature, is profoundly complex,” she said.
Manuel Villarruel Vázquez, director of the INAH Hidalgo Centre, highlighted the emotional dimension of art associated with funerary traditions, describing such works as among those capable of producing the most profound and enduring responses.
Colloquium organiser Ethel Herrera Moreno said the event had achieved its aim of disseminating research that can contribute to a deeper understanding of funerary culture.
The Hidalgo rock-art research adds another dimension to that effort, revealing how imagery created more than a millennium ago may preserve narratives about death, duality and the supernatural that continue to resonate in living cultural traditions.
Sources : INAH