Email this article Other Caves "Maya Caves of West-Central Belize" Summer 2000 Other caves researched in the past by the Western Belize Regional Cave Project include the following: Actun Uayazba Kab (Handprint Cave) is a small cave atop a steep bluff face, part of two large interconnected cave mouths with several small caves inside. Discovered in 1996, Actun Uayazba Kab has plaster floors, human burials, petroglyphs, and pictographs. Its name comes from the handprints left on the walls. The cave also acts as a sound amplifier--people below the tropical canopy have been known to overhear conversations from the cave mouth. Ancient Maya handprints in Actun Uayazba Kab. The watery entranceway of Actun Yaxteel Ahau Actun Yaxteel Ahau translates to Cave of the Ceiba Tree Lord. The Maya performed their rituals on this cave's towering cliffs and ledges. It is difficult to enter, requiring a swim through a collapsed cave passage. Actun Che Chem Ha (Cave of the Poisonwood Water) was discovered by a hunter looking for his dog. First explored by the Belize Department of Archaeology in 1989, it contains a number of pottery vessels, one containing preserved anato seeds, another corn cobs. The cave is one of two in the region with a stela for elite ceremonies. Such a place would have been used for various ritual activities. The stela deep inside Actun Che Chem Ha Intro | Trip to Xibalba | Interview | Field Notes | Student Journals | Remote Sensing | Q&A | Map © 2000 by the Archaeological Institute of America www.archaeology.org/online/features/belize/caves.html Share this page:   Share Stay up-to-date on news and new features on our website. Click here to sign up. Buy current & back issues: See what's available!

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