Scientists find sunken Mayan temple

In Cara Blanka, Belize, scientists have found a temple where sacrifices were made in the ‘cult of the drought’. The complex, consisting of three buildings, was located near one of the cenotes there. Many vessels and jars were found nearby, which were offered as gifts, most likely as prayers for an end to the drought.

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In the middle of the first millennium AD, the Maya civilisation was hit by a series of very severe droughts, which eventually led to the collapse of the main cities and centres of this civilisation. The found temple is probably one of many that were built at that time. It was here that the Maya made their offerings and prayed for the rain to come to their rescue.

From the information published so far, it is known that in addition to these vessels and jars with gifts to the deities, there are also human remains at the bottom of the basin, most likely also sacrificed.

The results of the research work carried out at the site, will be published in a forthcoming edition of the Cambridge Archaeological Journal.

“Pilgrims from all over the region came here to make offerings and perform purification. It was a unique and sacred place” – Team leader Lisa Lucero from the University of Illinoi explains in an interview with National Geographic.

The team, led by Lucero, investigated the site for two years. During this time, many ceramic pieces as well as stone tools were found. According to the research, the victims became more and more generous over time. According to the researchers, this was probably due to the fact that the droughts were becoming more and more troublesome, so the Maya were making more and more efforts to appease their gods.

“What we found here is amazing! It shows once again how important caves and cenotes were in Mayan life and beliefs, ” explains Brent Woodfill, an archaeologist at the University of Minnesota.

Source: redorbit.com Photo wikipedia CC BY 3.0