Belize’s Actun Tunichil Muknal

The country of Belize is home to one of the more interesting and remarkable finds in the world of modern day archaeology.  In the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve lies the site of Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the “Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre.”  Not to be confused with the crystal skull of Indian Jones fame (though it does have its fair share of skulls), this site is one of the most amazing cave systems in South America and an historically important archaeological location for the pre-classic Mayans.

First discovered in 1992, scholars consider it to be one of the best-preserved examples of a pre-classic Mayan site.  Exploration has revealed just under 3 1/3rd miles of caves, culminating in a room known as “The Cathedral,” in which human sacrifices were made.  Within the caves are numerous artifacts.  These include the typical pottery and stone tools, but there are also some more wondrous items, such as two stele used during blood sacrifices and the preserved remains of 14 Mayan skeletons.  The highlight of the finds is the skeleton known as “The Crystal Maiden,” remains that have been calcified over the years and now possess a sparkling, crystal-like appearance.  In fact, many of the artifacts have been calcified to the point where they too shine and are permanently stuck to the cave floor.

If you want to take a journey into the Cave of the Crystal Selpulchre, you’d best be ready for some serious adventure.  It’s a 45-minute hike through the jungle just to get to the cave, and then you’ll have to wade through the water to reach the entrance.  If you want to go the whole way and see The Cathedral, it’s about a two-hour journey.  Altogether, it takes around five to six hours to explore the cave and get back out again, all the while traveling through water, climbing and generally squeezing and stumbling your way along with nothing put a lighted helmet to show the way.

Protection of this rare and wondrous site is of paramount importance, so if you want to see inside you’ll have to go through one of the licensed tour companies.  There’s no cave diving allowed, though the walk may seem just as intense to the inexperienced cave explorer.  Actun Tunichil Muknal is a great destination for adventure lovers, as well as aficionados of nature, history or archaeology and makes a perfect vacation destination for those who wish to see the unique and forgotten places of the world.

Photo courtesy of Peter Andersen