Cave of the Crystal Maiden. (cover story)

CAVES; MAYAN antiquities; CAVES in religion; MAYAN rites & ceremonies; MOYES, Holley; HUMAN sacrifice; ANTIQUITIES

BELIZEReport Available; CENTRAL America

The article discusses the exploration of the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, or "Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre" in western Belize by a team of scientists led by archaeologist Holley Moyes in which they research artifacts in the cave's chambers that suggest the ancient Mayan peoples conducted subterranean sacrificial rituals. Topics include the discovery of the so-called Crystal Maiden, or the remains of a sacrificed Maya woman whose remains are covered in calcite; evidence of religious rituals in other caves throughout Central American jungles with artifacts at ritual sites such as stone structures and ceramic pots; and Mayan mythology. It also details the decline of the Maya civilization and why human sacrifices were associated with appeasing Chac, the Maya rain god.