In Yucatan, a maze of Maya stone temples found in underground caves

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Mexican archaeologists have discovered a maze of stone temples in underground caves, some submerged in water and containing human bones.

Clad in scuba gear and edging through narrow tunnels, researchers found the stone ruins of 11 sacred temples at the site on the Yucatan peninsula.

Archaeologists say the Maya believed the underground complex of water-filled caves leading into dry chambers, including an underground road stretching about 330 feet, was the path to a mythical underworld known as Xibalba.

According to the Popol Vuh, an ancient Maya scripture, the route was full of obstacles, including rivers filled with scorpions and houses shrouded in darkness or swarming with shrieking bats, said Guillermo de Anda, one of the lead investigators at the site. The souls of the dead were said to have followed a mythical dog who could see at night, he said Thursday.

‘It is very likely this area was protected as a sacred depository for the dead or for the passage of their souls,’ De Anda said. Read more of the report, from Reuters, here.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City