“Caves of the Maya”
The well known and respected publication, Discover Magazine, has featured our very own ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) Cave on the cover of it's current December 2014 issue! Part of the article can be read here (from the Discover Gallery) with several amazing images of what it is like to explore this ancient sacrificial cave. Similar to the ones we are sharing with you here in this blog.
The ATM Cave can be found deep in the jungles of Belize. For over 50 years archaeologists have been exploring it's depths and discovering remains of blood rituals, sacrifices and religious rites! The cave is locally known as Xibalba or the entry way to the Mayan Underworld…
Deep withing Actun Tunichil Muknal she lies, the forgotten remains of a young woman once sacrificed and now known as the crystal maiden. Her skeleton has lain in the cave for so long that it has claimed it and transformed it into a glittering grave.
Archeologists are still searching for answers to the question of why these sacrifices were made. Some believe it was starvation and desperation others that it was sheer greed on the part of the Mayan shamans and royalty. We may never find the answers but we can visit these remnants of a time long past and learn from their acts.
To read the complete story get your own copy of Discover Magazine's December 2014 issue and then come and enjoy it for yourself, if you dare, with us at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch.
