Exploring Maya Ritual Caves

Exploring Maya Ritual Caves offers a rare survey and explication of most of the known ancient Maya ritual caves in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. The caves were the Maya underworld, where rituals, including animal and human sacrifice, were carried out. The Maya cave cult and mythology, construction and modification of the caves, and cult art and artifacts are discussed. Chladek, an intrepid explorer, then describes important caves that he has recently visited and provides photos of their wonders.

Stanislav Chladek, once a world champion whitewater kayaker, had a long career as a professor of chemistry, ran a business in Michigan importing English sea kayaks, and recently has studied Native American rock art and the Aleutian Islands, by kayak, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. In his latest research on the Maya, he was on occasion the first non-Maya to enter some caves.