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While investigating the fall of the remarkable Mayan Empire, Josh unearths human skulls and ancient Mayan sacrificial altars in the caverns underneath the jungles and ruins of Mexico.
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00:00In the ruins of one of the world's great civilizations are secrets that may lead to the truth behind a terrifying mystery.
00:14Into the darkness.
00:16It seems like just yesterday everyone was talking about the impending Mayan apocalypse, but the year 2012 came and went without our world ending.
00:40However, the same can't be said for the once great Mayan Empire that mysteriously collapsed a thousand years ago.
00:49Their once vibrant cities and imposing pyramids were deserted, reclaimed by the jungle.
00:57So what went wrong? And can we protect our own future from whatever disaster consumed the Mayans?
01:04For years, archaeologists have had many theories, but no answers. Until now.
01:10New evidence is emerging, not in Mayan ruins, but beneath our feet, in cenotes.
01:15Dark, flooded caverns that the Maya believed were portals to the underworld.
01:21In fact, a renowned archaeologist has recently uncovered a secret underground chamber at one of the world's most important Mayan sites.
01:29A cavern that he believes may totally reshape our understanding of their collapse.
01:37My plan is to join him and other explorers by descending into the Mayan underworld.
01:42A place of monsters, ghosts and legends to find out what happened to one of the world's mightiest empires.
01:49My name is Josh Gates.
01:56With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration.
02:02I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations.
02:06There has got to be a better way to make a living.
02:10My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends in history.
02:15We're going to fly, let's go.
02:17This is Expedition Unknown.
02:26Mexico, America's sun-drenched neighbor to the south.
02:30And at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun.
02:33It was only a short flight here from New York, but my bag seems to have had other plans.
02:45I'm sure my bag will be out any minute now.
02:47You know what you want when you touch down in the jungles of the Yucatan?
02:59It's about 120 degrees out.
03:01You want to be wearing like a nice thick pair of jeans and some real flimsy boat shoes.
03:06It's going to be interesting.
03:09It turns out my bag was sent to Washington, D.C., where I assume it's enjoying a tour of the nation's capital.
03:15As for me, I'm carrying on without it.
03:18I've always thought that most tourists come to Cancun looking to hit the beach, party and get laid.
03:22What do you think of my outfit?
03:25Me? I'd just settle for a decent pair of boots.
03:28No, no, no.
03:32After a quick trip to a local store,
03:35I pick up some appropriate adventure attire and leave Cancun in the dust.
03:40Okay, I guess there's time for one spring break shot.
03:52To unravel the secret of the downfall of the Maya,
03:55I'm driving an hour and a half south down the coast.
03:58From downtown Cancun,
03:59it's kind of hard to imagine that an incredibly powerful ancient civilization once thrived here.
04:04But all you have to do is head just down the road, right on the coast,
04:07and you can see evidence of one of their most beautiful creations.
04:17This is Tulum.
04:20To the Maya, it was the city of the dawn.
04:22A fortified campus of temples surrounded on three sides by thick walls.
04:27On the other side, the Pacific.
04:29And atop the sheer cliffs.
04:32A stone pyramid gazing out to the sun.
04:35I'm meeting with archaeologist Carmen Rojas to learn more about the people who built the city.
04:40At its height, how big is this civilization?
04:45Five million people.
04:46Five million, just in the Yucatan?
04:47Yeah.
04:49To understand how chilling the downfall of the Maya is, consider how high they soared.
04:54From 300 to 800 AD, the Mayan Empire exploded across the Yucatan Peninsula,
04:59and down through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.
05:02In unforgiving jungles, more than 4,000 cities emerged, supporting more than 20 million people.
05:10The Mayas were an amazing civilization, but we have many questions because they are not here, so we can ask them.
05:17We only have their structures or their burials.
05:20Within about a hundred years, the entire civilization ground to a halt.
05:26It is one of the greatest mysteries of archaeology.
05:29Why do you think that these large-scale Mayan cities were abandoned?
05:35It's not really clear what happened.
05:38Some people say it's because of the political changes.
05:41Some others say it's because of the climate change.
05:44What do you think personally caused them to walk away from these places?
05:47I don't know.
05:49That's the question.
05:50That's the question.
05:52Not knowing is troubling.
05:54After all, if it could happen to the Maya, could it happen to us?
05:57There are many theories about the Mayan collapse, including war, disease, a natural disaster, or the arrival of the Spanish.
06:04Over time, though, these theories have started to fall apart.
06:08For instance, even though Tulum was still occupied when the Spanish arrived, it was in serious decline,
06:13and many other Mayan cities had been totally abandoned.
06:17One of those cities is just a little further inland.
06:24The Yucatan is covered in thick jungles, but beneath the canopy, there are secrets.
06:34These are the ruins of Cova. This is really one of the coolest sites here in the Yucatan.
06:39It's been partially excavated, but as you can see, a lot of it's really overgrown still, so it has this very mysterious kind of Indiana Jones vibe.
06:46The site covered 30 square miles with a population of more than 50,000 people.
06:51That's larger than the city of London at the time.
06:54Today, the empty ruins give us clues about life in the Mayan world.
06:57This is a Mayan ball court.
07:01It's something that you find in every ruined Mayan city in the world, and not just one of them. Most cities had lots of these.
07:07It's a game that we only partially understand. There's still a lot of debate about exactly how it was played and what its significance was.
07:22What's clear is that it was difficult and deadly.
07:27The Mesoamerican ball game was a fixture of Mayan society.
07:31It's a little bit soccer, a little bit racquetball, and seriously high stakes.
07:36Based on Mayan glyphs, it seems players would try to knock a ball through a stone hoop.
07:42But this was more than just a game. It was a ritual to the gods.
07:46During official matches, the losing team would be executed.
07:49Sometimes the winning team as well.
07:55Along with the ball courts, the buildings at Coba are some of the most impressive in all of Mexico.
08:00This includes Ismoja, the tallest Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan.
08:07But to really appreciate it, you have to get to the top.
08:19I'm in Mexico searching for answers to the collapse of the Mayan Empire.
08:23I'm exploring the ruins of the city of Coba and the crumbling remains of the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan.
08:29Today's cardio workout brought to you by the Mayan Empire.
08:33Here we go.
08:34Here we go.
08:37The pyramid has a hundred steps.
08:40Actually, there's a lot more than that, but I stopped counting when it felt like my heart was going to explode.
08:45Whew. That's horrible.
08:46The stairs are ridiculous.
08:48I wonder the civilization collapsed.
08:50Okay.
08:52Okay.
08:53And soon, I arrived triumphantly at the top of the pyramid.
09:01Oh, God.
09:03Just going to lay down right here.
09:05If anybody needs me, I should be here at the top of this pyramid for the rest of eternity.
09:10Somebody send a helicopter up here, please.
09:15Climbing to the top of the pyramid immediately puts a bunch of things in perspective.
09:18You realize, first of all, just how huge these structures are.
09:20And it's so impressive that they were all crafted entirely by hand without the use of modern equipment.
09:26But beyond that, you really get a sense of how much of the Mayan world was about jungle.
09:31You know, you look out and even a thousand years after the end of their empire, it's the dominant thing here.
09:37You know, it's undeveloped.
09:39This is still just this incredibly difficult, impermeable landscape.
09:43It's so impermeable that you look out, you see these bumps.
09:46Those are huge pyramids.
09:47That's how difficult it is.
09:48We know there are other pyramids here.
09:49We haven't gone in to excavate them yet.
09:51It's that hard.
09:52In fact, of the 6,500 buildings in Coba, only 2% have been excavated.
09:59And along with the jungle, there's something else about the landscape that catches my eye.
10:04There's no water anywhere to be found.
10:07It's not until you get above the trees that you fully appreciate how difficult a place they were built in.
10:11The Maya are the only large civilization in history to concentrate their cities in a place without rivers.
10:18So how did they pull it off?
10:19That's what I aim to find out.
10:20With daylight fading, I drive back to Tulum, only to find the city and its residents have changed.
10:30This is Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.
10:40A national holiday to commemorate those who have crossed to the other side.
10:43It feels like I've wandered into a Tim Burton movie, but this celebration has deep roots.
10:49Elements of Spanish Catholicism blended with the rituals of the Maya.
10:53Dancing skeletons were a part of all Saints' Day festivals in medieval Europe.
10:57While here in Mexico, the native people wore skull masks as a way to confront death.
11:01Something that on the surface looks incredibly ghoulish and macabre is actually unbelievably joyous.
11:22The culture's unique relationship with the afterlife can be seen in every living skull.
11:26While many societies fear death, here, it's a part of life.
11:31And to the Maya, it's just another step in reaching a higher existence.
11:37It isn't just a feast for the eyes.
11:40The food is also out of this world.
11:42I don't know about Day of the Dead, but my diet just died.
11:45There's also one dish you definitely won't find at your local Mexican restaurant.
11:52Can I see some?
11:53These are, oh, those are insects.
11:54These are little tiny crickets.
11:59Boy, but they are big on flavor.
12:01That is a vinegary, insect-y kind of flavor.
12:07Very good. Very, very good.
12:09I'm lying. I don't enjoy this.
12:12Why did I take like 200 of them?
12:14That's a lot of legs and antenna to get through.
12:18I'm starting to get into the spirit of things, so I decide to get my own morbid makeover.
12:22I look like John Candy in Spaceballs.
12:25After a bit more dabbing, painting, and blending, my transformation is complete.
12:32With my new look, I go from an outsider to being the afterlife of the part.
12:36I'm sorry, is this skeleton throwing gang signs right now?
12:40This is much better. I feel like I'm blending in more now.
12:43It takes a little weight off me. It's a very thinning look.
12:46I gotta go skeleton more often.
12:47The next morning, I hit the ground running to continue my investigation.
12:56To understand how the Maya thrived without any rivers, I'm meeting archaeologist Giovanna Jimenez at the entrance to a natural cave complex near Tulum.
13:04Hola.
13:05Hola.
13:06Giovanna.
13:07Yes, nice to meet you.
13:08Yeah, nice to meet you too.
13:09I'm here to learn about caves.
13:10Yes.
13:11I see you've got to weave a wetsuit on?
13:12Yes.
13:13Well, we're gonna need it, you know, actually.
13:15Oh, I was picturing something dry.
13:18No?
13:19No, not at all.
13:21After a quick wardrobe change, she leads me down a rickety wooden staircase into this subterranean maze.
13:28There's like millions of stalactites.
13:32Beneath the surface is another world.
13:35Unbelievable.
13:37These chambers are known as cenotes.
13:40The Yucatan Peninsula is made of limestone.
13:42Over millions of years, rainwater has flowed through the surface, slowly dissolving and weakening the rock.
13:47Eventually, the limestone collapses, turning the underside of the Yucatan into Swiss cheese.
13:53The cenotes filtered billions of gallons of fresh water into flooded tunnels, creating a clean, plentiful source of water vital to the Mayans.
14:01How old is this formation, do you think?
14:03Well, this place would be about two million years old.
14:06Two million years old.
14:09And how many cenotes are there in the Yucatan?
14:11Well, just to be conservative, we have about 6,000 this summer.
14:15Thousand cenotes.
14:16Yes.
14:17That's insane.
14:18And what about tunnels that connect them?
14:19There is about 1,000 miles that has been discovered, but that's just the 10%.
14:26So there's almost 10,000 miles worth of tunnels that nobody has been into yet?
14:30Yeah, it's like a tree, let's say.
14:32You know, it has many branches, so you have to really connect those passengers.
14:36As we make our way deeper into the pitch black cenote, the light bouncing off the crystal clear water is disorienting.
14:45The caves are both beautiful and creepy and totally otherworldly, which is exactly what the Mayans thought.
14:51Central to Mayan life was the belief in Shibalba, the underworld known as the place of fear.
15:00Ruled by the Mayan death gods, this mythological realm was filled with demons, serpents, and spirits of the dead.
15:06Shibalba, it turns out, is more than just a story.
15:11It's a real place.
15:14And we're wading right through it.
15:17It's just like endless.
15:18Yes.
15:19How many hours could you walk for down here?
15:21You could walk a whole day and no finish.
15:24Really?
15:25Yep.
15:26Do you ever get freaked out being alone down here?
15:27Yes.
15:28You do?
15:29Yes.
15:30Mayans regarded these cenotes as sacred conduits to this other world and would perform elaborate ceremonies and even ritual sacrifices at the edges of these seemingly endless caves.
15:43After what feels like a mile of darkness, Giovanna leads me to something that takes my breath away.
15:49No way. Look at that.
15:52That is unbelievable.
15:53It's amazingly rare to see an intact piece of Mayan pottery and in such a realm of darkness.
15:58I'm traveling Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, looking for answers to the disappearance of the ancient Maya.
16:03Now, I've been led deep into an underground cave called a cenote to discover a breathtaking artifact.
16:10No way. Look at that.
16:13That is unbelievable.
16:16It's amazingly rare to see an intact piece of Mayan pottery and in such a remote location.
16:23So why is it here?
16:24How long has this been down here for?
16:26Well, this is from about 800 years ago.
16:29And it's in position? It's where it was found?
16:31Yes, probably it was a part of an offering.
16:33If they came to put it down here, it means it was something really important.
16:38It was unnerving enough getting here with modern headlamps, wetsuits and guidelines.
16:43Imagine having only a torch, believing this was a supernatural realm filled with serpents and demons.
16:50If the Mayan were so intimidated by these cenotes, why do you think that they would come all the way down here to put that there?
16:55Well, probably no water, no food, something like that could be happening, you know.
17:00And then you really need to do something like coming through the underworld, you know.
17:05Right. If you really need it that bad, you're willing to come down here.
17:07Yeah.
17:08Could this offering be a clue? And could water have something to do with the collapse of the empire?
17:14To find out, Giovanna and I make the long trek back into the light.
17:19And she leads me to what appears to be a large pond.
17:22But appearances can be deceiving.
17:24This is another cenote, but it's filled to the brim with water.
17:30To explore it, we need to dive.
17:34Okay.
17:35I've brought along a remote-operated vehicle, or ROV, that will help film our journey and navigate any tight spaces.
17:41We submerge, and I'm stunned by the clarity of the water.
17:55The walls of the cenote are like vertical cliffs, and as we descend, the light from the surface begins to fade away.
18:02This is absolutely eerie down here. Very, very spooky.
18:08As we dive deeper, I suddenly see something rising up from the darkness.
18:15Holy , look at that.
18:18Oh, my God.
18:21It looks like a monster, but these tendrils are the tops of branches from a huge tree that fell into the cenote ages ago.
18:28What's truly unsettling is the strange-looking fog hovering underneath it.
18:34I'm entering the fog layer now.
18:37It's almost like a mist that's laying on the bottom.
18:41Very, very disorienting.
18:44This is a layer of hydrogen sulfide, an acid suspended in the water which creates an illusion that I'm flying above clouds.
18:52I'm starting to see why the Maya thought these cenotes were supernatural.
18:55I'm also realizing how huge this place really is.
19:00Looks like another passage over here.
19:04Let's send the ROV in ahead.
19:06Tell a look.
19:08I follow the ROV and discover that this cenote is part of a massive labyrinth of tunnels.
19:13Beneath the Mayan Empire is a watery-looking glass world.
19:20Once I get over how spooky it is, I realize something else.
19:24This may be the most beautiful place I've ever seen.
19:29These cenotes were the only source of water for the entire Mayan Empire in the Yucatan.
19:33Even the jungle above is drinking out of them.
19:37And while I want to keep exploring, it's important not to go too far.
19:40Okay, getting more on air.
19:44Don't want to get lost.
19:46Let's head back.
19:48Not wanting to permanently join the land of the dead, we return to the surface.
19:55Woo!
19:57How cool is that down there?
19:58It's like a science fiction movie.
20:00It's another world.
20:02It's crazy.
20:04To better understand how these cenotes relate to the collapse of the Maya,
20:10I'm heading west to meet with archaeologists that have recently made a stunning discovery.
20:14From the coast, I'm driving about 100 miles through the city of Valladolid,
20:19and then onto the Mayan city of Chichen Itza.
20:22This is the real Yucatan.
20:25Undeveloped.
20:27Unspoiled.
20:28Wild.
20:29And even though the cities of the Maya have long been abandoned,
20:31Mayan people still endure.
20:34There are an estimated 7 million Maya living throughout the Americas.
20:38Some in traditional villages, others in cities.
20:41Like Valladolid.
20:47You'd be hard-pressed to find a more charming town in the Yucatan.
20:51This is the colonial city of Valladolid.
20:53It was established by the Spanish in the 1540s.
20:55This place is old.
20:57It's also kind of a sleepy town today.
20:58In the 1800s, the local Maya actually staged an uprising against the Spanish here,
21:03and they were successful for a time.
21:04They actually took the whole city.
21:06Today, it's a pretty quiet little place.
21:08Most tourists just bypass it.
21:10They go from the hotels out on the coast, take the big highway over to Chichen Itza,
21:14and they don't really stop in here, which is really a shame because this town is gorgeous.
21:17The only downside to this colonial paradise is that it's absolutely sweltering.
21:26Hola, señor.
21:27It's very, very hot here.
21:29Is this ice cream?
21:30Helado.
21:31Can I have one, please?
21:32Uh, coco, por favor.
21:34Pequeño.
21:35Oh, this is going to hit the spot right here.
21:36How much?
21:37How much?
21:38Twenty pesos.
21:39And I am out of money.
21:45I just bought an ice cream with no money.
21:48That's embarrassing.
21:49Unfortunately, this guy doesn't take credit cards, but he's come up with another way for
21:53me to pay off my bill.
21:54Ice cream for sale.
21:55Helado.
21:56Helado for sale.
21:57Anyone?
21:58Ice cream?
21:59I'm working off a debt, people.
22:00Please.
22:01Anybody.
22:02Buy an ice cream for me.
22:03Helado.
22:04This guy's got...
22:05You have watermelon?
22:06No.
22:07This guy's hurting my business.
22:08It turns out I have a little competition.
22:09Ten pesos.
22:10Ten pesos.
22:11Ten pesos?
22:12Five pesos right here, people.
22:13Five pesos.
22:14I'm taking you out, buddy.
22:15Helado.
22:16Sir, would you like a helado?
22:17Delicious.
22:18Don't buy from this gentleman.
22:19He's wanted by the authorities.
22:20Helado?
22:21Helado?
22:22Yes.
22:23Helado?
22:24Yes.
22:25Helado?
22:26Yes.
22:27Okay.
22:28This is what we're talking about.
22:31I have coca o piña.
22:34Coco?
22:35Coco o piña.
22:37Coco.
22:38Trace cocoa.
22:39Coming up.
22:40I can do this.
22:41It's a little melty.
22:42I'm definitely going to give you a napkin with this.
22:44Coco.
22:45That's for you, my friend.
22:46Yeah.
22:47Coco.
22:48There you go.
22:49Coco for you.
22:50Gracias.
22:51Thank you very much.
22:53Okay.
22:54I'm making money at this.
22:56Thank you, sir.
22:57Thank you, sir.
22:59With my debt paid off, I'm free to leave town.
23:03But before I go, I need to make one very important stop.
23:06The very cool thing about these cenotes is that, yes, some of them are out in the middle
23:10of nowhere and are hard to get to, but some of them are literally right in the middle
23:13of town.
23:14Yes, the cenotes are dark, they are mysterious, but in this heat, they're also very refreshing.
23:31I tell you cool off.
23:32I'd spend all day cooling off in this cenote, but I've got work to do.
23:38About 25 miles down the road, I pull over and walk along a jungle path.
23:52In the clearing ahead is one of the most stunning ruins in the world.
24:07I've come to the Yucatan Peninsula, chasing new leads in the mystery of the downfall of
24:20the Mayan Empire.
24:22My travels have brought me to a jungle path that leads to a stunning sight.
24:34Chichen Itza, the most famous Mayan city in the world.
24:40Sprawling out over a thousand acres, it contains imposing temples, a stellar observatory, sacrificial
24:47altars, and a massive ball court that feels like the Colosseum of the New World.
24:52And at the center of it all, archaeologists discovered El Castillo.
24:56When they stripped back the jungle growth, they revealed the finest pyramid in the Americas.
25:01In fact, it's actually a massive calendar, with 365 steps, one for each day of the year.
25:08On the spring and fall equinox, the sun shadows even create the illusion that a massive stone
25:14serpent is creeping down the stairs.
25:18I'm here to meet with famed Mayan archaeologist Guillermo de Anda, who has recently found
25:24new clues as to why this mighty city fell apart.
25:27How long have you been studying Chichen Itza?
25:30Over 20 years.
25:31Is this site built here and aligned here simply because of astronomy?
25:35I mean, so much of the Mayan world seems to be fixated on us.
25:37Yes.
25:38We believe not.
25:39Astronomy was a very important part.
25:41This building, it's like a huge calendar.
25:44Uh-huh.
25:45But also, it's built there in relationship with Cenotes, because most of the main deities
25:53lived in Cenotes and caves.
25:55Right.
25:56Specifically, one god, Chak, which was the rain god.
26:00Few Mayan deities were treated with greater reverence than the rain god, Chak.
26:05The Maya relied on rain to fill the Cenotes with water, essential to their survival.
26:10When that rain didn't come, blood was shed.
26:13In some cases, priests even cut the beating hearts out of sacrificial victims.
26:19And why do you think they fixated on Cenotes?
26:21Is it because they're naturally kind of mysterious places or because they were filled with water,
26:26which they needed?
26:27What was it about the Cenotes that drew them?
26:29I think it's both things.
26:31They were amazed, as we are, with the beauty of the places and the mystery of the places.
26:36And when you go into a cave, everything changed.
26:38The humidity, the temperature, the light conditions, the smell.
26:42Going there is going to the supernatural.
26:47Is the whole reason that Chichen Itza is here is because of these Cenotes?
26:52Yes, I think so.
26:53But if you really want to understand, you have to see it from above.
26:56To better understand the significance of the Cenotes to Chichen Itza, we head to the local airfield to catch a ride.
27:04Ready to fly?
27:05Ready.
27:06Okay, let's fly.
27:07Okay, let's fly.
27:12Yeah, it's amazing.
27:13It's not until you get up here that you realize just how forested this place is.
27:30It's just covered in thick jungle.
27:32There's hundreds of Cenotes down there.
27:34It's amazing how the Maya could have lived here and conquered this land.
27:40For years, archaeologists assumed Chichen Itza was aligned to the sun and stars.
27:45But Guillermo and others have made a series of discoveries that have to do with Cenotes.
27:50Now I can see El Castillo.
27:51I can see the pyramid just rising up from the jungle.
27:55Incredible.
27:56The most famous Cenote at Chichen Itza is the sacred Cenote, which we see at the end of a straight path north of the pyramid.
28:03In this gaping mouth, hundreds of people, mainly children, were sacrificed and dumped into the murky water.
28:09But there are other Cenotes here.
28:12Along with the sacred well in the north, there is Cenote Canjium to the east, Eshtaloc to the south, and to the far west, Hultun, which was only found in the last decade.
28:22The Maya were fantastic builders and mathematicians, and they knew exactly where and how to put their building.
28:31This is part of their sacred geography.
28:34This sacred geography may have been the reason behind Chichen Itza's design.
28:39The four Cenotes create a diamond, and at the center is the pyramid of El Castillo.
28:44It turns out the entire layout of the city, and in fact of many Mayan cities, was dictated by the location of water.
28:51The little explored Cenote of Hultun is remote and hard to reach, but Guillermo believes this sacred well could provide answers to why the Maya disappeared.
29:01Hultun, it's very hard to see from up here. It's sort of shrouded in the jungle.
29:05I can show it to you.
29:06Yeah? I can see it?
29:07For sure. We'll go there.
29:09Alright, I'm in.
29:18Okay, good flight.
29:19Back on the ground, Guillermo and I waste no time setting off into the deepest jungles of the Yucatan.
29:26I'm eager to understand the secrets of Hultun, a Cenote that has only been explored by just a handful of archaeologists before me.
29:33But getting there is no walk in the park.
29:35You know, even though Chichen Itza is such a well-known site, I now finally understand why this particular Cenote was kind of off the map for so long.
29:44The jungles here, they grow so fast that if these little trails aren't tended to, they just grow right in and disappear.
29:50It is not the kind of place you want to get lost.
29:52Luckily, Guillermo knows where he's going.
29:54Everything in the Yucatan is sharp, Guillermo.
29:57Yes, it is. You've got to be very careful here.
30:00I'm literally trapped in these jungles.
30:03Don't leave me, Guillermo.
30:08These jungles are the real deal.
30:10And even though some of the Yucatan's local residents are making me wish I was back on the plane,
30:14I continue to follow Guillermo, eager to see this rarely explored Cenote that may hold the answers to the collapse of the Mayan Empire.
30:22So when was this Cenote really discovered?
30:24Just a few years ago.
30:26So very recently.
30:27This is it?
30:28This is it.
30:29We're here.
30:30Wow.
30:31Look at that.
30:32Just a little hole in the ground.
30:33Yes.
30:34That's what it is.
30:35Whoa.
30:36How far down is that?
30:37Seven, eight feet.
30:38That's a bad fall if you go down there.
30:40Oh, yeah.
30:43And how exactly does one get to the bottom of this thing?
30:46We're going to use ropes.
30:47There's no other way.
30:48And we're going to use these to support us?
30:51Yeah.
30:52We had only had maybe three people falling.
30:55That's not much.
30:59You know the saying, it takes a village?
31:05Well, it applies to more than just raising children.
31:08Guillermo brings in a small army of men from a local village.
31:11These are the descendants of the Maya, and they help us move all of our essential gear out to the Cenote and prepare for the descent.
31:18Now all that's left to do is suit up.
31:21Wetsuit plus harness is very package-y.
31:27May need to blur some of this out.
31:31Todo bien?
31:32Oh, boy.
31:39Holy good lord.
31:41That log, it's suffering.
31:44Why are you messing with me right now?
31:46Okay, let's go.
31:47You're good, man.
31:48You're good.
31:49See you later.
31:50Good luck, Lord.
31:51Here we go.
31:53In the darkness.
31:59Oh, my God.
32:00You are not going to believe this.
32:09My mission to uncover the ultimate fate of the Maya has led me across Mexico, to the ruins of Chichen Itza, and now, deep in the jungle, to a little explored scenario.
32:19A little explored Cenote known as Holtoon.
32:21The opening is little more than a hole in the ground, which gives way to a 70 foot drop into the unknown.
32:28We've lowered down a camera and one light.
32:30We've lowered down a camera and one light, and I'm next.
32:32Into darkness.
32:33Into darkness.
32:34Into darkness.
32:35I'm going to be honest.
32:36I am pretty freaked out right about now.
32:39The narrow sides of the opening are covered in vines, but as I descend, the hole opens up to something larger.
32:45The tiny entrance above is actually a door, the top of a domed cavern more than 100 feet wide and dripping with stalactites. And below me, it's a long way down.
33:04Okay, keep going. I'm about halfway there.
33:14As I approach the water, I feel overwhelmed with adrenaline. Since this Cenote was rediscovered, only about a dozen people have made this descent into the darkness. I guess I'm lucky number 13.
33:25As I hit the water, though, the reality of my situation sinks in. I'm floating in black water, and there's no way out but up.
33:42All right, Guillermo, let's do this.
33:44I'm slightly anxious for some company. Once Guillermo arrives, we don our masks and descend.
34:02The water is a little bit cool. Visibility is good, about 50 feet, but very, very dark in here.
34:17I can't see the bottom at all, Guillermo. How deep does this thing go?
34:21This goes 450 feet.
34:23I mean, it looks like it goes down forever down there.
34:26Yeah, you cannot see the bottom from here.
34:28It's like a bottomless bed.
34:30The visibility is so clear, and the Cenote is so dark that I feel like I'm floating. Not in water, but in space.
34:37Because the water is so clear, it's very hard to get a sense of how deep you are or the distance between things. It's kind of disorienting.
34:45You have this sensation that you are flying.
34:47Let's head down here, Josh. I want to show you some of the beautiful cave formations here.
34:53Absolutely incredible. Just these huge curtain formations and stalactites. It's just unbelievable down here.
35:02Guillermo's team has made a number of huge finds in this darkness.
35:05First, they've realized that Hultun is critical to the alignment of all of Chichen Itza.
35:10Every May 23rd, when the sun reaches its zenith or highest point, it shines directly down into the mouth of Hultun, bathing this black water in ethereal light.
35:22Then, that night, the sun sets directly in line with the Cenote and the side of Chichen Itza's main pyramid.
35:28Okay, so where are we headed? Over to the wall?
35:31Yeah, we'll go to the wall, to one side, where there's a little cavern, where there's this land, this shelf.
35:37Okay, I'm right behind you. Here we go.
35:48Josh, come on. Come on here. Look at this.
35:51Oh my god, look at that. Incredible pieces of pottery, incredible intact ceramics.
35:58Yeah, this is one thing the cenotes have. They preserve materials in an incredible way.
36:04But there are other secrets here. As beautiful as the cenote is, it is also undeniably scary.
36:11Really scary. This truly is the Mayan underworld. To them, this was the home of Chak, the rain god.
36:18Who knows what rituals the royalty at Chichen Itza conducted here.
36:23Amazing pottery down here. Definitely offerings to the gods.
36:28Very dark in here, dear. Look. May need some of your light.
36:35Clearly, look at that.
36:39Oh my god, it's a human skull.
36:49I have bones in here. Amazing.
36:54Teeth look perfect on the skull.
37:09Yeah, they are very well preserved. They tell us that this person was throwing high status person, because it has a very good health on the moment of death.
37:16And look at the bones. Unbelievable.
37:23Another skull right there.
37:26How many bodies are here?
37:31We believe in total in this cenote we have a minimum number of 15 individuals.
37:37That looks like a weapon. That's probably a sacrifice of life.
37:44Unbelievable just to see that sitting there on the shelf. It's just an incredible condition.
37:48In such a good shape, yes.
37:50How many people have been down here to see this?
37:53Very, very few. Just a handful of researchers, our team.
37:57Amazing to be some of the first people down here since this sacrifice took place, probably.
38:02Yes, yes, it's overwhelming, I will say.
38:07After exploring what appears to be a sacrificial altar, Guillermo leads me to the other side of the cenote.
38:13You know, just be very careful here. All these materials have been there and taught for centuries.
38:20Copy that.
38:24How can we turn this gear, but there's so many things I'm looking at here. What are we seeing here?
38:28There is human bones. There's human skulls, which are obvious. There's lots of animals. There's deer, dogs. The pot has bones coming out from it. We believe it was placed with an animal inside.
38:43The stone shelf contains a grisly scene, but it's not just the bones that are disturbing. It's their organization.
38:49There's so many things on the shelf. Guillermo, what do you think we're looking at? Is this a funerary offering? Was this a sacrifice? What do you think this is?
38:57We assume that this is a sacrifice deposit and blood was important for the gods to produce rain, so probably this is a sacrifice symbol.
39:07At more than 20 feet underwater, it would have been impossible for the Maya to arrange these items so carefully.
39:13Unless, of course, none of this was submerged at the time.
39:17We believe it was a huge drought. The archaeological material matches that time. And we believe that the water level was at least 20, 25 feet below than what it is now.
39:30This shelf is actually a ceremonial altar, which means the water level must have plummeted far enough for the Maya to descend here on foot and make desperate sacrifices.
39:41Have you really excavated around here at all yet? Have you looked under the sediment?
39:46No, we're really waiting for better technology to know what's down there before we even touch anything.
39:52The bones have been dated to about 1,000 years ago, the exact time when the Mayan Empire began to collapse.
40:01This analysis is now being confirmed in other parts of the region as well.
40:05Recently, samples drilled in a massive cenote in Belize show mineral deposits indicating a terrifying lack of rainfall at the time.
40:13No rain, no drinking water, no corn. And just like that, the whole delicate balance of life begins to topple over.
40:21Josh, there's some place. It's getting low. I think it's time to go up.
40:25Copy that. I'm right behind you, Guillermo.
40:28We ascend to the surface and, with the help of the modern Mayans, get pulled back toward the sun.
40:33He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone.
40:42That's a long way back up.
40:50Okay.
40:54Guillermo, I'll see you later. I'm getting out of here.
40:58And it's a whole other world down there.
41:00It's a dark, scary, and very cool world.
41:03It's good to be back up here in the land of the living.
41:11As I make my way out of the jungle, it's now clear that the Mayans oriented their entire world toward water.
41:17And yet, though brilliant, they weren't able to anticipate that their environment could turn on them.
41:24By the time of the drought, they had cut down most of the trees in the region for firewood, building materials, and to clear fields for corn.
41:31A new NASA computer model shows that the loss of that many trees likely caused a 20 to 30% decrease in rainfall.
41:40In other words, the Mayans brought on their own demise.
41:43The Maya themselves didn't vanish. The culture and generations of people have survived.
41:53But the empire that once was is gone.
41:55It is said that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
42:02World populations are exploding.
42:04Deforestation is rampant.
42:06And droughts are becoming more common.
42:08The seemingly silent ruins of the Mayan world whisper to us.
42:12We just need to listen.
42:13From crumbling pyramids above ground to the miles of flooded chambers in the underworld, the message is clear.
42:20We must strike a true balance with nature and live within our means.
42:25If not, we may be destined to answer to the Earth itself.
42:28The Earth itself.
42:29The Earth itself.
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