Che Chem Ha Cave or Chechem Ha Cave is a
Mayan
Mayan most commonly refers to:
* Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Mayan languages, language family spoken ...
Ceremonial Cave, known to be a major tourist destination. It is located southeast of
Benque at the start of the
Maya Mountains
The Maya Mountains are a mountain range located in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in Central America. Etymology
The Maya Mountains were known as the ''Cockscomb'' or ''Coxcomb Mountains'' to Baymen and later Belizeans at least until the mid-2 ...
of
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
.
Description
The Che Chem Ha
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
(Poison Water Cave) entrance is a small hole which leads to the main tunnel ( long), this tunnel connects to a large chamber which then connects many other small chambers high up within the cave. This cave contains many ancient Mayan
artifacts so it is heavily protected to ensure the preservation of these items so visitors are only allowed to enter when escorted by a tour guide.
Discovery
This cave was first discovered in 1989 by a local farmer, William Morales, while he was hunting with his dog. His dog ran into a hole within a mountain of boulders and he followed the dog and discovered the entrance of the cave. After Morales entered the cave he stumbled across hundreds of
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...
vessels and other untouched artifacts left behind by the Mayans.
Archaeology
This cave contains a main chamber filled with rocks lined up which is believed to have been used for sacred Mayan
rituals
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
dating from the middle preclassic period (900-300BC) to the late classic period (700-850AD). Also, there are many chambers found high up within the cave which contain many large pottery vessels which may have been used to collect 'pure water' to be used for their rituals.
[Gyles Iannone, ''The Great Maya Droughts in Cultural Context: Case Studies in Resilience and Vulnerability'' University Press of Colorado, Dec 15, 2013 ]
References
{{reflist
External links
Che Chem Ha Cave: A Wonderland of Mystery and Artifacts
Caves of Belize
Maya sites in Belize