This 15, 000 Year Old Cave Would Hold A Spectacular Wealth of Treasures

Underworld

The spectacular deep-sea caves lie beneath the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán headland, near the popular beachside tourist destination of Tulum.

Scientists Marvel At This Discovery

A team of well-respected scientists has gathered together to explore and map the caves beneath the Yucatán Peninsula. Its members include researchers from Washington DC’s National Geographic Society, and Mexican educational institutions the Aspen Institute Mexico and the Technological University of the Riviera Maya.

Largest Discovery Yet

The discovery is the world’s largest underwater cave system. The awe-inspiring caves are speculated to be 15 000 years old. The cave complex has offered up some 200 separate sites of archaeological significance.

The Most Important Submerged Archaeological Site Yet

“This immense cave represents the most important submerged archaeological site in the world,” says underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. “It has more than a hundred archaeological contexts, among which are evidence of the first settlers of America, as well as extinct fauna and, of course, the Maya culture.”

Treasure Trove

The enraptured scientists have found an unrivaled treasure trove of archaeological discoveries, both human and animal. In January 2018, Guillermo de Anda, the revered leader of the Gran Acuifero Maya project, spoke to international news agency Reuters about the discovery. He explained, “It allows us to appreciate much more clearly how the rituals, the pilgrimage sites and ultimately the great pre-Hispanic settlements that we know emerged.”

Most Important In The World

He also added, “I think it’s overwhelming. Without a doubt, it’s the most important underwater archaeological site in the world.” What underwater treasure truly lies within the mysterious caves?

Vast Exploration

The latest phase of the project commenced in March 2017. Highly-skilled cave divers explored the myriad of caves, spending hours and hours of arduous and sometimes dangerous exploration beneath the coast’s surface.

A Close Close Call

“We came really close a few times. On a couple of occasions, we were a meter from making a connection between the two large cave systems,” GAM exploration director Robert Schmittner told a Mexican newspaper. “It was like trying to follow the veins within a body. It was a labyrinth of paths that sometimes came together and sometimes separated. We had to be very careful.”

Breakthrough

For Robert Schmittner, this project was the culmination of 14 meticulous years of work. He committed himself to discovering the connections between the cavern systems. After years of deliberation and discovery, a link has been established. The name of the larger of the two complexes, Sac Actun, now has been officially declared as one of the world’s largest underwater cave networks.

More Than 20 Years Work

Speaking to National Geographic magazine in January, 2018, Schmittner said, “This is an effort of more than 20 years of traveling hundreds of kilometers of caves submerged in Quintana Roo mainly, of which I devoted 14 to explore this monstrous Sac Actun system. Now, everyone’s job is to keep it [up].”

One Mighty Civilization

The Yucatán land above the underwater caves was once home to the mighty Mayan civilization. The classical Mayan period denotes the development of a highly sophisticated ancient network of cities, which stood from around 250 to 900 A.D. After this time frame, the elaborate and popular Mayan cities were abruptly abandoned. The reasons for this are still highly debated today.

Legendary

The Mayan territory stretched across much of Mexico and Central America. The complex architectural and artistic endeavors of the Mayans still inspire awe today. The Yucatán Peninsula area has few bodies of water, rivers, and lakes, so the elaborate cenotes were often vital sources of fresh water for the surrounding populations.

Extremely Sacred And Spiritual

As well as having practical and functional uses for the Mayan people, the structures were also regarded as sacred and spiritual. Mayan culture revered these ancient sinkholes as other-worldly entrances to the beyond mortal life after death. The ancient civilization performed sacred rituals honoring the structures, including human sacrifices to Chaac, the god of rain.

Incredible Archeological Story

In addition to the artifacts that date back to the Mayan era, these incredible caves hold archeological secrets that stretch back millions of years. During the Pleistocene period, from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago, when the Earth was heavily glaciated, many parts of these caves would have rested above land, and would most probably have been dry for much of the time.

Nature Is Mindblowing

When the glaciers melted and water levels rose to unprecedented levels, the caves were subsequently flooded and immersed in water. This deluge, more than 11,000 years ago, created the perfect conditions for preserving some incredible remains of megafauna. These included large mammals that have been long-since become extinct.

15,000 years Old

Some of the bones and fossils found in the caves were reportedly declared to have been 15,000 years old. These mysterious creatures included gomphotheres, large mammals which resembled elephants. Other animals that died in the caves, yet remained preserved, included giant sloths and bears.

Unbelievable Evidence

But it was not just animal fossils which the amazed divers discovered. The explorers found evidence of some of the earliest human settlers to inhabit this region of the Americas. One human skull was identified as possibly dating back an extraordinary 9,000 years.

Even Man-Made Objects Were Found

Of the 200 sites of archaeological significance that have so far been found in the caves, 140 contain artifacts from the Mayan era. Objects that have thus far been found include an elaborate man-made mask of Ek Chaub, the feared and respected Mayan god of trade.

Exquisite Work

Other discoveries have included a large and curious collection of Mayan ceramic objects. The highly-skilled Mayan people were well-renowned for their pottery. Objects included exquisitely decorated vessels most probably used for carrying water or wine. What else would they discover?

Mind blowing Shrine

Another intriguing find was a religious shrine that is thought to have been dedicated to the aforementioned Ek Chuaj, the Mayan god of war and commerce. This holy site included a sturdy staircase that led up to the cenote that housed the holy shrine. The cave divers also came across burnt human sacrificial bones indicating that sacrifices were routinely made to please the God.

Exploring Ancient Connections

Archeologists are also dedicated to uncovering societal connections that could tell us more about the interactions between the Mayan people and other early human inhabitants in the surrounding region. More than 140 items have been dated to the Mayan era, yet 60 are believed to date from between 6,000 to 12,000 years ago. The groundbreaking discoveries did not end there.

A Lot More Work To Do

Despite all the extensive and grueling work already done, the Gran Acuifero Maya mission is far from complete. There are more cave systems to explore beneath the miles of the ancient peninsula. One can only imagine what more will be revealed about Mayan culture.

Worth All The Effort

At 347 kilometers long, the Sac Actun cave complex is now the world’s largest known underwater cave. The stretch of underground caves holds an unprecedented wealth of biological and cultural significance.

Mindblowing

Untold ancient treasures and artifacts are just waiting to be discovered. “We’ve recorded more than 100 archaeological elements: the remains of extinct fauna, early humans, Maya archaeology, ceramics, and Maya graves,” de Anda told the Mexican media. “It’s a tunnel of time that transports you to a place 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.”