Cenote

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Cenote (pronounced in Spanish seh-no-teh and in English say-no-tay, plural: cenotes) is the name given in Central America and southern Mexico to a type of freshwater-filled limestone sinkhole. The name derives from a Mayan word, dz'onot.

1 Cenote Geology
2 Cenotes and the Maya
3 Cenote Park
4 Notable Cenotes
5 External links

[edit] Cenote Geology

Cenotes were formed at low sea-level stages during the Pleistocene Epoch. They are fully or partially collapsed karst caves. Mature cenotes often resemble small, circular lakes or lagoons with sheer drops at the edges.

Some cenotes flow out to the ocean. Where the fresh and saltwater meet, a blurry halocline layer can be found. This phenomenon can occur many kilometres inland, and is usually found at depths between 10-20 meters.

[edit] Cenotes and the Maya

Cenotes have long been major sources of water in much of the Yucatan peninsula, most of which lacks other easily accessible year-round water. The Maya city of Chichén Itzá was built around a cluster of these natural wells, as were many other Maya settlements. Some cenotes like the Cenote of Sacrifice in Chichén Itzá played an important role in Maya rites. It was believed that these pools were gateways to the other world, and valuable items were sometimes thrown into them. Golden sacrificial artifacts were found in such cenotes, leading to the archaeological exploration of most cenotes in the first part of the 20th century. Edward Herbert Thompson, an American diplomat who had bought the Chichén Itzá site, began dredging the Sacred Cenote there in 1904. He discovered human skeletons and sacrificial objects confirming a local legend, the Cult of the Cenote, involving human sacrifice to the rain gods (Chacs) by ritual casting into the cenote.

[edit] Cenote Park

Cenote Park, located at Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, contains many cenotes. These cenotes provide access to extensive underwater cave systems such as the Nohoch Nah Chich cave. Caves such as Dos Ojos Cavern have attracted cave divers and there are organised efforts to explore and map the underwater systems.