在遺址「奇琴伊察」發現了古代瑪雅人舉行儀式的洞穴存在解開瑪雅文明大城市消失的線索
在古代瑪雅城市遺址奇琴伊察發現了一處曾用來舉行某種儀式的洞穴。考古學家在洞穴中發現了超過150種和祭祀儀式有關的物品，它們至少已經存在超過1000年了。
該考古團隊由國家地理學會贊助，Guillermo De Anda是該學會的一名探險隊員，他有一個叫「驚奇瑪雅計劃」的團隊，於是他們便一直便在墨西哥Yucatán半島尋找神聖的瑪雅城市。
「我已經說不出話來了，我哭了。」他告訴國家地理的採訪者。「我對留存在神聖的洞穴裡的一些物品進行了分析，這超出了我的想像和期待，這是我生平第一次這麼近距離地感受到，獨自一人地，他們就這樣將這些東西擺放在你的面前。
該洞穴的結構系統，被稱為「芭拉庫洞穴」（類似美洲豹之神那樣的洞穴）。這種洞穴在1966年被當地的農民發現，之後考古學家Víctor Segovia Pinto拜訪了那裡。當時他說那下面有許多史前的文物，於是他命令那些農民封住了洞穴，之後也沒有再進行繼續地考古工作，這種情況一直持續到了去年。
在一系列的洞室裡發現的祭祀物品，包括一些花瓶，香爐，紋飾的盤子。研究者認為這些物品將提供有力地提供一些關於瑪雅城市盛衰的線索。目前總共有155件文物已經得到確認。其中有一件文物上有雨神特拉洛克的臉，還有一件物品上刻有代表瑪雅宇宙觀的象徵性木棉樹標識。
芭拉庫洞穴比1959年在附近發現的另一個洞穴-「巴蘭坎徹」要大得多，那裡面發現了70件文物。「芭拉庫就像是巴蘭坎徹的母親，」anda對雜誌社的工作人員說。「我不想說數量比信息量更重要，但是當你發現那裡有更多的物品和更難理解的東西的時候，或許這就很能說明一些問題了。」
瑪雅文明存在於公元前2000年到1600年之間，但隨著歐洲殖民者的到來，瑪雅文明在數百年前開始衰落。在公園8世紀到9世紀時，瑪雅的一些城市開始遭到廢棄，奇琴伊察的孩子是瑪雅城市中最大和最多樣化的群體，在9世紀和13世紀時到達頂峰。根據聯合國教科文組織的數據顯示，在13世紀後，瑪雅便沒有再建造新的建築，然後再1440年左右他們的人口便突然急劇下降。不久後，城市便荒蕪廢棄了。以前有研究者推測是因為旱災，殖民和土壤耗盡影響導致的。
但最新的發現應該可以為那些遺棄的城市提供新的時間線索。「芭拉庫洞穴不僅僅能告訴我們關於奇琴伊察衰落的時候，」anda說。「它也很可能告訴我們它們的開始，現在我們已經有了一批封存的文物，它們包含了大量的信息，包括有用的有機物質，這樣我們就能利用他們來了解整個奇琴伊察的發展狀況。
ANCIENT MAYA RITUAL CAVE DISCOVERED BENEATH CHICHEN ITZA HOLDS CLUES ABOUT VAST CITY'S COLLAPSE
a ritual cave has been discovered beneath the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza. Archaeologists found more than 150 objects relating to ritual practices in the cave, which they said had been untouched for more than 1,000 years.
The expedition, which was partly funded by a grant from the National Geographic Society, was led by Nat Geo explorer Guillermo de Anda and a team from the Great Maya Aquiver Project. De Anda came across the cave while looking for a sacred well beneath the city on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
「I couldn’t speak, I started to cry,」 he told National Geographic. 「I』ve analyzed human remains in [Chichen Itza’s] Sacred Cenote, but nothing compares to the sensation I had entering, alone, for the first time in that cave. You almost feel the presence of the Maya who deposited these things in there.」
The cave system, called Balamku ("Cave of the Jaguar God") was found by farmers in 1966 and visited by archaeologist Víctor Segovia Pinto. At the time he said there were archaeological artifacts down there. However, instead of exploring further, he ordered the farmers to seal up the cave—and it remained that way until last year.
Ritual objects, including vases, incense burners and decorated plates, were found in a series of cave chambers. Researchers believe these objects will provide vital clues about the rise and fall of the city—and indeed the civilization itself. In total, 155 artifacts have so far been identified. One was found to have the face of the rain god Tlaloc, while another had markings representing the Maya universe—the symbolic ceiba tree.
Balamku is far larger than another nearby ritual site discovered in 1959. This cave, called Balankanche, contained 70 objects. 「Balamku appears to be the 『mother』 of Balankanche,」 De Anda told the magazine. 「I don’t want to say that quantity is more important than information, but when you see that there are many, many offerings in a cave that is also much more difficult to access, this tells us something.」
The Maya civilization existed between 2,000 BCE and the 1600s, with the arrival of European conquests. It had started to decline hundreds of years earlier, however. During the eighth or ninth century, there was a collapse and cities started to be abandoned.
Chichen Itza was one of the biggest and most diverse of the Maya cities, peaking between the ninth and 13th centuries. According to UNESCO, there were no major monuments built after the 13th century, and it rapidly declined around 1440 AD. Shortly after, it was abandoned. Researchers have previously speculated this could have been the result of droughts, conquests and exhausted soils.
The latest discoveries in the cave should provide clues about the timeline of events that led to the city being deserted. 「Balamku can tell us not only the moment of collapse of Chichen Itza,」 De Anda said. 「It can also probably tell us the moment of its beginning. Now, we have a sealed context, with a great quantity of information, including usable organic matter, that we can use to understand the development of Chichén Itzá.」
翻譯/蘭桂姬LANGUAGEE
作者： HANNAH OSBORNE
來源： NEWSWEEK