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Researchers found thousands of other items, but the skeletal remains of the monkey point to the earliest evidence of primate captivity, translocation, and gift diplomacy between Teotihuacán and Mayan elite.

Archaeologists at Teotihuacan have uncovered evidence that over 1,700 years ago the ancient Maya sent a spider monkey as a peace offering.

Spider monkeys were considered exotic curiosities in pre-Hispanic Mexico. The find is the earliest sign of primate captivity and Mayan gift diplomacy.

Skeletal remains of the monkey point to the earliest evidence of primate captivity, translocation, and gift diplomacy

The complete skeletal remains of a spider monkey — seen as an exotic curiosity in pre-Hispanic Mexico — grants researchers new evidence regarding social-political ties between two ancient powerhouses: Teotihuacán and Maya Indigenous rulers.