Ritual Cave Paintings in Yucatán Pose New Questions
The discovery of a likely ritual site within a cave in Yucatán is giving the archaeological community something to think about.
Within the cave, archaeologists discovered the remains of several artworks, mostly characterized by geometric designs, handprints, and several artifacts made of pottery.
But what has researchers excited is that the geometric designs appear to be lit by rays of sunshine during certain celestial events such as the recent spring equinox.
“When we descended, we noticed a phenomenon where sunlight light came into the cave and lit up these designs. Clearly, this was not a coincidence,” said INAH archaeologist Sergio Grosjean.
These caves were likely used during fertility rituals dedicated to the health of crops and honey production. However, the presence of images depicting warriors and other figures yet to be interpreted raises questions regarding other possible uses.
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Other caves, such as those at Aktún Usil, have been discovered in recent decades featuring similar designs but without the presence of the solar effect.
Even at archaeological sites where no caves exist, pre-Hispanic peoples like the Maya and Zapotec created similar effects by building structures that reflected beams of light on specific objects or iconography.
The location of the cave has not been disclosed. Still, given the similarities of the designs with those at other known sites, it is likely that the location lay somewhere relatively close to the archaeological site of Maxcanú, near the archaeological site of Oxkintok.
It is not unusual for the location of archaeological discoveries found within caves to be withheld from the public, as their remoteness and delicate condition make them particularly prone to looting and damage.
