The World's Largest Underwater Cave Is Already Yielding Sacred Maya Relics

It's a place that almost seems too magical to exist: the world's largest underwater cave, spanning an incredible 347 kilometres (216 miles) of subterranean caverns, discovered in Mexico a month ago.

When archaeologists unveiled this immense, immersed labyrinth, they said it wasn't just a natural wonder, but an important archaeological find set to reveal sunken secrets of the ancient Maya civilisation – and already that promise is holding true.

Unveiling their preliminary findings this week, a research team led by underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said the sprawling cave consists of almost 250 cenotes (naturally occurring sinkholes) and hosts 198 archaeological sites, some 140 of which are Maya in origin.

"This undoubtedly makes it the most important submerged archaeological site in the world," de Anda says.

"Another important feature is the amount of archaeological elements that are there and the level of preservation they contain."

Among the finds the divers have already uncovered are human remains, including skeletons and seemingly burnt human bones, that are at least 9,000 years old – suggesting human activity in the eastern Mexican region goes back thousands of years earlier than researchers thought, possibly as part of an ancient Maya trade route.

"The merchants followed established routes and used these places as ritual pilgrimage points, they made stops at altars and sacred sites to make an exchange with the gods and they've left their mark there," de Anda told media at a press conference.

De Anda, who leads the Great Maya Aquifer Project (GAM), suggests people probably didn't actually live in the branching underwater cave – called the Sac Actun System – but ventured inside it during periods of great climate stress to search for water.

But their culture and the caves were nonetheless inextricably linked, with the divers finding numerous examples of Maya-era pottery and other ceramics such as wall etchings, but also evidence of larger artefacts, such as a shrine to the Maya god of commerce and a staircase structure inside one cenote.

When they didn't have staircases, descending into the world's largest underwater cave could be dangerous – the amount of bones the cavern holds suggests not everybody was able to climb back out again, and the same fate may have been true for many animals.

Inside the cave, researchers found fossils of numerous creatures from the last Ice Age, including giant sloths and bears, as well as the remains of an extinct elephant-like animal called a gomphothere.

Amidst the excitement over this bevy of early discoveries comes a warning from the researchers, who caution the archaeological site is already imperiled by human activity – both from tourists who enter the cenotes to snorkel and swim, and also pollution: a major highway runs over much of the cave, which is also close to an open-air dump.

If those threats can be contained, there's no telling what we could learn from this "enormous octopus" of a cave, which, as the researchers explain, could become even bigger – if divers can successfully link it to other branching underwater caverns nearby.

"There are other caves around Sac Actun that might be connected," said one of the team, GAM's chief of underwater exploration, Robert Schmittner.

"We're already close to the next one and they're probably linked. That other one is 18 kilometres (11 miles) long and is called 'The Mother of all Cenotes' … If so, the cave system would be longer than 500 kilometres, and it seems to have no end."

Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/the-world-s-l...

15 Forbidden Historical Events Shrouded in Mystery that Shocked the Whole World

We cannot learn everything in history class. Some events are very strange occurrences that have been tagged as bizarre in the course of history. If you have not subscribed to our channel, please do. Don't forget to hit the bell icon for notifications. Today, we would be looking at 15 forbidden historical events shrouded in mystery that shocked the whole world. Let's dive in.

Secret World of Triads in Ancient China

In this video, we take you into the secret world of triads in China. Triads have a long history dating back to the Qing Dynasty, We’re going to look at their beginnings as well as their role in Chinese society throughout the years. So sit back and relax as we unveil some of the secrets that have been hidden for centuries.

The Triads have their origins in centuries-old secret societies dating back to 1000 B.C., when peasants were frequently preyed on by evil leaders and defended themselves by forming "self-help" groups. The first Triads, according to legend, were founded by Chinese monks dedicated to fighting injustice. It is said that over time, these groups grew so politically powerful that they could prop up or depose emperors at their discretion.

Top 10 Deadliest Wars in History

Explore the top 10 deadliest wars in history in this informative video. Learn about the human cost of war, the death toll, and the strategies employed in some of the most devastating conflicts in history. From global wars to military conflicts, this video covers it all, providing a glimpse into the brutality of warfare and its impact on the world. Perfect for history buffs and those interested in military history, it's a must-see for all.

What Life Was Like In Medieval Castles

Despite what pop culture might have you believe, living in a medieval castle wasn't all that glamorous. If you were one of the lucky ruling class, you got some wine or the occasional hot bath. But with the lack of plumbing, castles smelled pretty ripe. Not to mention rats. So many rats. Today we're getting real about what living in a medieval castle was like, and it's not that pretty.

Skeletal remains of Roman aristocrat discovered in hidden lead coffin

The remains of a Roman aristocrat have been unearthed by archaeologists in northern England.

The skeleton of the unidentified woman, believed to be more than 1,000 years old, was found in a lead coffin in a hidden cemetery in the city of Leeds last year.

The remains of 62 people were dug up at the previously unknown archaeological site near Garforth. Men, women and 23 children were buried at the site uncovered by a team of archaeologists.

The dead are thought to include people from both the late Roman and early Saxon era, as burial customs of both eras were found in the graves, according to a press release published by Leeds City Council Monday.

David Hunter, principle archaeologist with West Yorkshire Joint Services, told CNN Monday that the discovery emerged after a commercial developer submitted an application for planning permission to the council.

An archaeological survey of the site – the exact location of which hasn’t been released – led to the remains being found last spring.

“We certainly got more than we bargained for,” Hunter told CNN. He said his team had reason to believe that the site might be of archaeological interest, as they’d found Roman and Anglo-Saxon structures nearby on previous digs. “But we didn’t expect to find a cemetery of 62 at this location,” he added.

Evidence of burial practices found on the site could indicate early Christian beliefs, along with Saxon burial, the team said. They also found personal possessions such as knives and pottery.

Describing the lead coffin as “very rare,” Hunter said: “The lead sheeting is the lining of a larger wooden coffin so it’s a very high status Roman body.”

The coffin also contained pieces of jewelery which reinforced the team’s suspicions about the person buried inside.

Archaeologists hope that the 1,600-year-old cemetery could help them understand the important and largely undocumented transition between the fall of the Roman Empire in around 400 and the establishment of the later Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

After the Romans left Britain, West Yorkshire lay in the Kingdom of Elmet, which was located between the Wharfe and Don Valleys, the Vale of York and the Pennines, according to the press release.

Even after the Romans departed, many areas, including Elmet, continued to display elements of Roman culture – alongside that of the Anglo Saxons. That lasted for around 200 years.

Describing the dig as “extraordinary,” Hunter said in the release: “This has the potential to be a find of massive significance for what we understand about the development of ancient Britain and Yorkshire.

“The presence of two communities using the same burial site is highly unusual and whether their use of this graveyard overlapped or not will determine just how significant the find is.”

The remains will undergo testing and analysis, including carbon dating, which the team hope will help establish precise time frames, as well as details of individuals’ diets and their ancestry.

Excavation of the site was partly prompted by the fact that previous digs in the nearby area had unearthed late Roman stone buildings and a small number of Anglo-Saxon style structures. The findings have only just been made public as the site had to be kept secure so that initial tests could be carried out.

Kylie Buxton, on-site supervisor, said in the release: “It is every archaeologist’s dream to work on a ‘once in a lifetime’ site, and supervising these excavations is definitely a career-high for me.”

Once analysis of the find is complete – a process which could take a year or two, according to Hunter – the lead coffin is expected to go on display at Leeds City Museum.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/13/uk/roma...

12 Most Amazing Archaeological Finds

The time has come for another dive into the distant past! We’re looking for things left behind by our ancient ancestors - things that sometimes don’t even make sense to our modern eyes. As always, we’re far from disappointed with what we’ve found. We’ve got a great collection of ancient wonders to share with you, and we’re getting started right now.

This petite fossil bird might have hunted like today’s birds of prey

A 120-million-year-old fossil bird found in China could offer some new clues about how landbound dinosaurs evolved into today’s flying birds. The dove-sized Cratonavis zhui sported a dinosaur-like head atop a body similar to those of today’s birds, researchers report in the January Nature Ecology & Evolution.

The flattened specimen came from the Jiufotang Formation, an ancient body of rock in northeastern China that is a hotbed for preserved feathered dinosaurs and archaic birds. CT scans revealed that Cratonavis had a skull that was nearly identical (albeit smaller) as those of theropod dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, paleontologist Li Zhiheng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and colleagues report. This means that Cratonavis still hadn’t evolved the mobile upper jaw found in modern birds.

It’s among just a handful of specimens that belong to a recently identified group of intermediate birds known as the jinguofortisids, says Luis Chiappe, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County who was not involved in the study. Its dino-bird mishmash “is not unexpected.” Most birds discovered from the Age of Dinosaurs exhibited more primitive, toothed heads than today’s birds, he says. But the new find “builds on our understanding of this primitive group of birds that are at the base of the tree of birds.”

Cratonavis also had an unusually elongated scapula and hallux, or backward-facing toe. Rarely seen in Cretaceous birds, enlarged shoulder blades might have compensated for the bird’s otherwise underwhelming flight mechanics, the researchers say. And that hefty big toe? It bucks the trend of shrinking metatarsals seen as birds continued to evolve. Cratonavis might have used this impressive digit to hunt like today’s birds of prey, Li’s team says.

Filling those shoes may have been too big of a job for Cratonavis, though. Given its size, Chiappe says, the dino-headed bird would have most likely been a petite hunter, taking down the likes of beetles, grasshoppers and the occasional lizard rather than terrorizing the skies.

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bird-t...

Drugs said to have been used by ancient shamans were discovered in 3,000-year-old human hair

The discovery of psychoactive alkaloids in hair fragments thought to have belonged to Bronze Age shamans on the Spanish island of Menorca provides the earliest proof of hallucinogenic drug use in Europe dating back 3,000 years.

The hairpieces were found in a hidden section of a burial chamber in the Es Càrritx cave on the island in the Mediterranean. The current study found that they tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine as well as the delirium-inducing alkaloids scopolamine and atropine.

The study's principal investigator, Elisa Guerra-Doce of the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona, told IFL Science that prior investigations of the cave had uncovered the remains of at least 210 people who were interred there between 1400 BCE and 800 BCE.

Many of the dead had been discovered with hair that had been dyed red, and some had been buried with colored hair in tubes made of bone or wood.

Researchers did find an additional 10 tubes with hair inside of them and other artifacts from the historical period hidden below a layer of clay in a previously unknown area deep inside the cave.

According to the study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectroscopy were used to identify the presence of mind-altering drugs.

Guerra-Doce told IFL Science, "The interesting thing about this work is that it documents the intake [of hallucinogenic plants] in human samples for the first time.

Despite the fact that these were all indirect indications, she continued, "plants with psychotropic effects had already been identified in several archaeological contexts, including those that are far older than Es Càrritx."

Plants in the Datura genus, which have been linked to witchcraft and sorcery in the West for ages, contain scopolamine and atropine.

The findings, according to Guerra-Doce, "indicate that these folks genuinely absorbed these chemicals, which were derived from diverse plants," rather than necessarily implying that these individuals were swallowing the plants to experience euphoria.

The study discovered that the alkaloids present in hair can result in "severe mental confusion, powerful and realistic hallucinations, disorientation... [and] out-of-body experiences and a feeling of modification of the skin, as if growing fur or feathers."

The handling, use, and applications of the alkaloids detected in the hair "expressed highly specialized knowledge," the researchers stated.

The hair was thought to be that of ancient shamans because of this specific understanding, according to researchers.

Concentric rings adorned the tubes where the hair was discovered, which scholars believe may be a representation of the "inner vision" that shamans saw after consuming hallucinogenic substances.

According to Guerra-Doce, who spoke to IFL Science, the tubes may have been carefully buried as a result of "social instability" among the Menorcan populace about 3,000 years ago.

According to researchers, "in this context, in the cave of Es Càrritx, some individuals reluctant to abandon ancient traditions, concealed a collection of ritual objects belonging to certain members of the community, possibly shamans, in the hope that the previous social order could be re-established in the future."