Sounds Familiar
If you mention Cancun to someone, they will think about sipping fruity drinks on a white sandy beach. They may also think of spring break. If you mention the Yucatan Peninsula, they might say that they have heard of it before, but don’t know much about it.
A Historical Place
The Yucatan region is a place full of history. This is why it is a popular spot for archaeologists. In 2018, a group of archaeologists heard about an ancient cave that was sealed off from the public. It was just a rumor, but they
Cenote
An archaeologist named Guillermo de Anda and his crew wanted to study what is called a cenote, which is a sinkhole that the ancient tribes believed to be a portal to the underworld. The cenote that they were looking for was located under the Temple of Kukulka. This was the plan until a local told them about The Cave of the Jaguar God. After hearing about it, Guillermo decided that he had to check it out.
Victor Segovia Pinto
An archaeologist named victor Segovia Pinto visited the cave back in 1966. He is said to have found loads of archaeological materials hidden inside, but rather than excavating the area; he ordered the cave to be sealed up. Over the next 50 years, the locals forgot all about it. When Guillermo was able to visit the cave, he was thrilled. He knew what these caves would mean to the Mayans.
Holly Moyes
Holly Moyes is a Maya expert. She says that the Mayans believed that they had a connection to the underworld. The caves and cenotes represented some of the most sacred places. After hearing this, Guillermo and his team decided to focus on the Jaguar God. They recruited a Mayan priest to perform a purification ritual that lasted six hours. They believed that this would help make their journey a safe one.
Crawling
The inside of the cave was small. For over an hour, Guillermo had to crawl on their stomachs to get through the narrow passages. All they had to light their way was a headlamp. He says that as he tunneled through the cave, he could feel the presence of the Maya. Finally, after crawling for an hour and a half, his headlamp lit something amazing. Soon, he started to cry.
Piles of Ancient Artifacts
Guillermo came upon piles of ancient artifacts. He found decorated plates and grinding stones, and they were all in perfect condition. There were no cracks or breaks, but they were caked with hundreds of years worth of mud. There was dripping water in the cave, which caused stalactites to firm around some of the artifacts. After checking out his find, he discovered 150 well-preserved items in the cave. It was the find of a lifetime.
New Found Respect
After visiting the cave, Guillermo says that gained more respect for the Maya. He knew that the cave and what he found inside would provide valuable and unknown information about the tribe and their rituals. He believes that the Jaguar God can tell stories from the very beginning.
Excitement
Guillermo was very excited about his find. He said, “Now we have sealed context with a high quality of information, including usable organic matter, that we can use to understand the development of Chichen Itza.
Experts
Experts believe that the more they study the area, the more we will understand about the region’s climate and how the droughts may have led to the demise of the first Mayan civilization. According to Guillermo, we could have been studying the area and have more information than we have now if the archaeologist who first found the cave back in 1966 didn’t seal it up. In closing off the area to future researchers, he significantly impeded the archaeological community’s ability to learn more about the area and the Mayan civilization as a whole. He is just grateful that he was granted access to the cave so that he could see everything with his own eyes. When asked about his work In archaeology, he said that he was saving the world. He stated, “We can understand the footprints of humankind’s past, and what was happening on Earth during one of the most dramatic moments in history.” He loves the fact that they were able to answer questions that people have had for over 14,000 years. This hidden cave uncovered in Mexico has strange contents within, and Guillermo was lucky enough to be the one to discover it all.
