Ancient Mayan Tablets
According to ancient Mayan tablets, the underground passages may have had a dual purpose. The first was to help protect the area of flooding. The second reason is that the Mayans had long traditions of death and passing. When a person died in the Mayan civilization, they weren’t so much as dieing but moving on to a new dimension. The tunnels are believed to have been the Mayans direct link to the underworld.
Undeground Skeletons
Several skeletons were excavated out of the tunnels and from near the flooded areas and pools. The regularity of this has given archeologists and scientists enough evidence to suggest that the Mayan used these tunnels as a portal to another dimension, or the underworld.
There have been 14 other such tunnels to the underworld discovered as well, such as in Belize. The tunnels that were found in the capital of the Yucatan, in Merida, had more than just rocks and stones in it. The tunnels were documented as having found large hand carved columns, pools and flowing springs, sculptures of Mayan priests, as well as a decent number of human skeletons lying about the entire length of the tunnels.
In Mayan tradition the souls heading to the underworld had to travel down these corridors led by a spirit guiding them from test to test. The tunnels provided the venue for the tests, and if the soul passed, then they were allowed access into the underworld and a glorious afterlife.
Inside a Mayan Tunnel
Once inside the Mayan tunnels, one can easily see these tunnels as a passageway for the Mayan underworld. Roads in the Mayan made underworld often end in giant walls or have pools of water that appear from nowhere and seem to be endlessly deep!
Dozens of stories have been told about the myths and legends of the underworlds. This is one of the first times in history that a civilization’s myths had a direct link to the physical world. Being able to construct the skyscrapers of the ancient world while being expert miners is an achievement for any prehistoric people. Not to mention they were doing it about 2,000 years before the Egyptians built Giza.
If you get a chance to see any of these Mayan portals to the underworld, don’t miss out. If you really want to see one, plan ahead and do your research. It’s going to be tough to see the Yucatan tunnels when your travels plans take you elsewhere. Organize and you’ll have a great time. A great Mayan cave to explore is the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave in Belize.
