EXPLORING XIBALBA

THE MAYA UNDERWORLD

Cenote at Bolonchen

Frederik Catherwood (1840s)

CAVES

Portals to the underworld—XIBALBA

CAVE
WATER/SEA
UNDERWORLD-9 LAYERS
 CAVES AS PORTALS

XIBALBA

Xibalba is home to the gods of the

underworld—1 Death and 7 Death

Death, disease and pestilence

Contains both good and bad

Good: clouds and rain (fertility
and life-giving)
Bad: darkness, death and disease
CAVES ASSOCIATED WITH CORN
Caves are a source of power
Several sites are located over caves
Where there are no natural caves the
Maya sometimes built artificial caves
Objects removed from the caves were
powerful and sometimes were buried
under house floors and interred with
burials
Water collected from caves was
considered to be sacred
Caves were sites for ritual performance
Construction of ritual pathways in caves
Stalactites and Stalagmites
Column
Rim Stone Dam
The Maya actively modified caves and cave formations
Caves used for ritual
Offerings brought to caves
Human remains are found in caves