Sacred Places: Road to Mayan Underworld Found!

This isn't breaking news, but an archaeologist in Mexico continues excavating sinkhole caves, or cenotes, in the Yucatan Peninsula, and he's found a series of caves that appear to be the real-world representation of Xibalba, the mythical Mayan underworld. Apparently, he keeps finding cool, creepy stuff!

This is pretty crazy--you descend into an underwater sinkhole and then, for whatever reason, crawl through darkness and human bones, around sharp stalactites and nasty critters like scorpions as part of some spiritual passage? Its purpose is unknown, but the series of caves and chambers faithfully depict the conditions Mayans would've expected upon reading about Xibalba in the Popol Vuh, a sacred text. Things like rivers of blood, bats and "knife chambers."

Some caves contain the ruins of underground temples and even a 100-yard paved road. Crazy.

Other similar sites have been discovered, and this site was also reported on back in August. The most recent report does a good job of explaining how the various caves depict specific conditions in Xibalba (stalactites for knives, for example), as well as Spanish efforts to wipe out the indigenous Mayan religion.

The last photo is of a beautifully lit cenote. I actually swam in one myself, but I can't imagine working to create such a dark vision as Xibalba--underground, in the darkness, the bugs--I'm starting to freak myself out! My swim was pretty tame--and well-lit.