Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) studied a unique Mayan canoe discovered two years ago in a flooded cenote in San Andres, Mexico, and shared their findings for the first time.

A cenote is a natural sinkhole formed by the collapse of the dome of a limestone cave, through which groundwater flows. The Mayans viewed them as sacred places where the spirits of the gods and the dead roam their bottoms.

The length of the found canoe is 2.15 meters, its width is 45 centimeters, and its height is 36.5 centimeters. The scientists concluded that it was certainly made in the Mayan tradition. However, it was not used for its intended purpose – too heavy nose and bulky stern could not stand in any way. So the boat was created for symbolic purposes. Most likely, to offer to the gods.

According to scientists, the San Adreas cenote itself was probably considered the entrance to the underworld in Mesoamerican civilization. This is indicated by the fact that inside it contains a large number of human remains, as well as bones of armadillos, dogs, turkeys and eagles. Experts have already identified 38 skeletons.

The predominance of armadillo bones among them suggests to experts that the canoe was used ritually and was placed in the cave before flooding.

“The ability of armadillos to swim and walk on the bottom and hold their breath for long periods of time may suggest that these animals may have entered the underworld, which is consistent with Mayan legends about sunken caves and cenotes as gateways to cosmogonic space.”said Jesus Gallegos Flores, an underwater archaeologist.

Thanks to this work, scientists determined the exact age of the find. Radiocarbon dating of canoe wood showed that it was created in the 16th century, not between 830 and 950 as previously thought.