The first findings obtained inside show that we will have to rewrite the history of the famous ancient city of Chichen Itza. And with that comes the history of decline of the Mayan civilization.

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Around AD 800, at the beginning of the Western Classic period of the Maya people, the inhabitants of the Yucatan Peninsula faced a terrible drought. In search of moisture, they began to fill the natural branched caves drained by groundwater. There they found not only water, but also new hope. More than 200 artifacts found on the “doorstep” of Balamk confirm this estimate.

Exploring the cave is extremely difficult: there are very few cleared places, and in some places you have to crawl along passages only 40 centimeters high. There are also many snakes and insects everywhere and the air is thin. But it was precisely these hostile conditions that allowed this cave to remain unused for 1,200 years.

Cave tunnels are sometimes very narrow / Photo by Karla Ortega for National Geographic

In 1966, the Balamka cave was first discovered by farmers, who later informed local authorities about their discovery. Archaeologist Viktor Segovia Pinto came to this place and prepared a report on the existence of a large amount of archaeological material. But instead of digging, he ordered the entrance to be closed. In 2018, National Geographic researcher Guillermo de Anda and his team from the Great Mayan Aquifer project came across the cave again in a different location during other archaeological studies. De Anda recalls being dragged face down for hours through Balamcu’s narrow tunnels before his lantern illuminated the votive cascade left to the gods by Chichen Itza’s ancient inhabitants. They were so well preserved that stalagmites formed around the censers, vases, decorated plates and other objects in the cave.

I couldn’t speak, I started crying. […] You can almost feel the presence of the Mayans who left these there.
– said Guillermo de Anda.

Many extremely interesting artifacts have been preserved here:

• Unique ceramic vessels bearing the iconography of Tlaloc, the god of water and fertility, have already been found.
• There are remains of seeds, bones and traces of ancient food.
• Many hand tools and household items, incense burners and wall paintings.

Many ancient artifacts found in Balamku Cave / Photo by Karla Ortega for National Geographic

Many ancient artifacts found in Balamku Cave / Photo by Karla Ortega for National Geographic

Many ancient artifacts found in Balamku Cave / Photo by Karla Ortega for National Geographic

Many ancient artifacts found in Balamku Cave / Photo by Karla Ortega for National Geographic

Segovia once identified 155 artifacts. By comparison, the nearby Balancanche cave, a ritual site excavated in 1959, has only 70 such objects. Why he sealed such an extraordinary find is still a matter of debate.

The Balamku cave goes deep underground and may be connected to the pyramid of El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, 3 kilometers away. The examination of the fantastic find is just beginning.