Archaeologists in Guatemala on Thursday announced the discovery of the grave of an ancient Mayan king credited with setting the foundation for the Mayan civilization.

Researchers from Guatemala uncovered the grave of King K'utz Chman, a priest who reigned around 700 BC, at the Tak'alik Ab'aj dig site in Retalhuleu in western Guatemala.

Archaeologist Christa Schieber, the co-ordinator of the project at the Tak'alik Ab'aj site, said that the ruins come from a very important time in the region’s history at the beginning of the early Mayan period.

Guatemala is studded with ruins from the ancient Mayan civilization, which thrived between AD 250 and 800 and extended from modern day Honduras to central Mexico. The Olmec Empire began to fade around 400 BC while Mayans grew in number and wrested control of trade routes.

Packed with jade jewels and other artifacts, K'utz Chman's tomb is the most ancient royal Mayan burial ground found to date, investigators said.

Inside the tomb, the team found glistening jade jewels including a necklace with a pendant carved in the shape of a vulture's head, a symbol that represented power and high economic status and that was given to respected elder men.

Historians believe that K'utz Chman was the first leader to implement aspects that defined Mayan culture, such as building pyramids instead of square structures and carving sculptures that profiled royal families.

Scientists discovered the grave in June but it has taken until now for experts to verify that it belonged to K'utz Chman. Although no human remains were found at the site, the carbon dated artifacts suggest that the king was buried between 770-510 BC.