The Mysterious Home of the Mayan Death Gods and the “Crystal Maiden”

In the heart of Belize, lost in its jungle, lies a mysterious cave that when talked about seems to have come straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. Within the cave there are artifacts as well as several sets of human remains, one of which is called the “Crystal Maiden.”

The site is called Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), which literally translates as “Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre.” The locals sometimes refer to it as Xibalba (Mayan for the underworld). It is an ancient Mayan temple that holds thousands of secrets — secrets that thousands of people come to see each year.

It remains unclear why the skeletons are in the cave, although many believe that they were part of human sacrifices, perhaps made to please the rain god Chac or even the gods of the underworld.

However, there are other theories suggesting that they may have been accused of witchcraft (possibly suffering from mental or physical ailments), with their bodies being left unburied so that their spirits would remain trapped inside the cave.

The youngest skeleton found is that of a one-year-old infant. There are other infants entomb in the cave, with their ages ranging from one to three years old. Some have been placed in cracks in the walls, while others in narrow adjoining chambers. Other skeletons of children include a child around seven and a teenager that seems to have been killed while being bound.

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