By Tim Binnall
A team of archaeologists exploring an ancient Mayan cave system discovered a chamber containing an amazing array of artifacts that are believed to have been untouched for over a thousand years. The incredible find reportedly occurred as the group was conducting an expedition inside a vast network of subterranean tunnels beneath the famed city of Chichen Itza. Although their research was initially focused on finding a water source believed to be sacred by the Mayans, the scientists were stunned when they stumbled upon something far more remarkable.
Tucked away within the serpentine system of caves, known as Balamku or 'Jaguar God,' was a ritual chamber filled with all manner of objects left behind by the Mayans. In total, 150 artifacts ranging from various types of pottery to incense burners were found by the astounded archeologists, who suspect that they are the first human beings to handle these materials in over 1,000 years. In a testament to the profound nature of the discovery, one member of the team revealed that, upon entering the cave, "I couldn't speak. I started to cry."
Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the ritual cave is that it was actually first found in 1966 by an archaeologist who documented the discovery and then inexplicably had the entrance sealed. After his report was lost to the proverbial sands of time, subterranean treasure trove was forgotten for five decades until it was inadvertently rediscovered during this recent expedition. Why, exactly, the researcher who first found the site felt compelled to close it off rather than continue to explore it is a mystery. Let's just hope, for the sake of the scientists now set to examine the objects found inside, that it wasn't because of some kind of curse.