Additional Insights into the Significance of Cave Formations: The Case of Balamkú

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Subterranean in Mesoamerican Cultural Landscapes" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

As part of its investigation of subterranean Chichén Itzá, the Gran Acuífero Maya (GAM) unsealed the entrance to Balamkú Cave in 2018. The entrance, located in a sinkhole, had been sealed and buried in an apparent act of deliberate termination. In addition, the entire first chamber of the cave including a staircase was buried with rock pulled from surrounding architecture. Before the cave was sealed, a large speleothem was deposited in the cave entrance. This was one of the largest stones used and stratigraphically one of the last stones deposited. It is thought that the speleothem had been set up in an altar structure near the entrance. This paper offers an interpretation of this feature.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Subterranean in Mesoamerican Cultural Landscapes   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36789.0