Chichen Itza New Discoveries! Fascinating Finds in the Balamku Caves

The mysteries of the Maya continue to capture our imagination and the work of archaeologists is bringing new discoveries to light. The latest discovery announced by INAH (the Institute of History and Anthropology in Mexico) is a marvel that may hold clues to the rise and fall of the Maya civilization.

Following evidence suggesting that there is a cenote and underground cave system below the Chichen Itza pyramids, scientists came across a stunning find. After walking, trekking and crawling through tight caves of Balamku (meaning Jaguar God), the explorers came across underground caverns full of treasures, more than 150 pieces of ritual objects untouched for more than 1000 years! These precious items will provide an incredible amount of information and may change how we view history and provide clues about the rise and fall of the Maya civilization.

The caves themselves are not a new find, they were originally discovered in 1966 by farmers but the entrance was sealed by archaeologist Víctor Segovia Pinto without being explored and the site was forgotten for over 50 years. It is not known why the site was sealed without being explored but today’s scientists are eager to investigate the findings.

Balamku was reopened to exploration in 2018 led by National Geographic’s Guillermo de Anda and his team of explorers from the Great Maya Aquifer Project. These daring adventurers and scientists crawled flat on their stomachs through hundreds of feet of tiny passages just to access the first of seven ritual chambers full of treasures. Incense burners, vases, decorated plates, jade, shells and even carbonized remains of food and seeds.

The spectacular site is located 24 meters underground, about 2 kms east of the Kukulkan Pyramid of Chichen Itza. This is one of the most important archaeological finds of the last 60 years and we are excited to learn more about the results of the investigations.

When you join us at Chichen Adventure, imagine the history beneath your feet, you are walking on ancient ground with thousands of years of hidden mysteries and magic.