Actun Tunichil Muknal
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Actun Tunichil Muknal is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio Cayo.
As a Maya archaeological site, ATM is notable for its skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. The most famous of the human remains is known as "The Crystal Maiden". It is the skeleton of a teenage girl, probably a sacrifice victim, the bones of which have been completely covered by the natural processes of the cave, leaving them with a sparkling appearance. There are several such skeletons in the Main Chamber.
The ceramics at the site are significant partially because they are marked with "kill holes", which indicates they were used for ceremonial purposes.
Entry to the cave is made by wading up a river and finally scrambling above the water level. Several metres above the water, the caverns where the relics are found are dry and do not flood, even when the area is hit by a hurricane - which has happened many times since the Maya left their ceramics and skeletons.
Other vicinity Mayan archaeological sites are Cahal Pech, Chaa Creek and Xunantunich.
[edit] Tourism
The Belize Tourism Board has granted licenses to a small group of agents to conduct tours to this cave, in an attempt to balance its protection against tourist revenue .
[edit] References
- Marachov, Nick and Williams, Nick (ed) Below Belize ca. 1991.
- Miller, Tom Tunichil Muknal The Canadian Caver vol 21 no 2, 1989.
- Williams, Nick An Introduction to Cave Exploration in Belize. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 58(2):69-75
- C.Michael Hogan, Chaa Creek, Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham, 2007
- Cahal Pech archaeological site, Belize
