Barton Creek Cave is a natural geologic formation that became famous for its ancient Mayan artefacts discovered inside and its vicinity. Barton Creek Cave is situated near a town of San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize. The Barton Creek underground system was measured of at least 6400 meters however only a few hundred feet are accessible today by canoe that you can rent at the entrance to the cave. Mayans probably didn't go far beyond in the past. Archeological digs revealed that Barton Creek Cave was frequented during Early and Late Classic periods or 200- 900 AD. Mayan priests came here to bring sacrifices at the entrance to the Underworld. This included various fruits, vegetables that they brought in pottery, but in times of starvation and turmoil humans were sacrificed to the gods as well. Scientists discovered remains of 28 victims inside the Barton Creek Cave.
Extensive looting of artifacts occurred soon after
the cave was first reported, but it remains an important site for
archaeologists. Evidence of cave use by the Maya exists on ten
ledges within the first kilometer of cave passage. Pottery shards
indicate use between the Early Classic (200 to 600 CE) to the Late
Classic (600 to 900 CE) periods. The remains of at least 28 humans
have been found within the cave.
Barton Creek Cave is a
primarily single-passage resurging stream cave. By 2002 a cave
survey had been completed by the Western Belize Regional Cave
Project, recording a total of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) of passages; dye
traces at sinking streams above the cave indicated that there could
be a further 6 km (3.7 mi) of cave passages beyond the terminal
sumps. By 2005 the Xibalba Mapping and Exploration Team had extended
the survey to 8 km (5.0 mi).