Cenotes was Crazy: Sacred Waters are love in Paradise

Sacred Waters on the Yucatan Peninsula

If you’ve ever been to Tulum or thought about going to Mexico, you’ve probably heard of Cenotes. These are essentially underground or open water pools formed by the dissolving of limestone rock over a long period of time.

This phenomenon exists in a lot of other warm and low altitude places (tropical climates), but Cenote implies a sacredness as well.

Quick Run Down of Sacred Waters:

1. 66 million years ago, there was a meteorite that hit the earth on the Yucatan peninsula known as the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. This is thought to have killed the dinosaurs and left an ocean basin. This leaves room for the underground connection of the water and explains where the salt water comes from that the fresh water sits on top of here.
2. Limestone rock is very porous, water is able to filter through the rock. When the water filters through the rock, it becomes very clear and fresh and settles at the bottom.
3. When that (meteoric) water hits the air, it creates carbonic acid (acid rain). This is what dissolves the rocks.
4. As rocks dissolve (slowly over millions of years), it creates room for more rock to fall and eventually the amount of rock creates a void where the fresh water settles way below the rock line.
5. If one of these structures collapses all the way in on itself, then it forms an open cent which just resembles a pool with really cool under water life.
6. Cenotes that form caves in Tulum flow for over 230 miles and they are connected. This makes them very dangerous and deep. Don’t be playin around at the Cenote fam.
7. Science was used similarly to deceive people for the purpose of religion. There are human remains and jewelry remains that are found deep in the caves which point to human sacrifice to Chaac, the Mayan God of Rain.
   1. The ruling class would understand water timing and cycles, and then a few days prior suggest sacrifices. When the water came a few days later, the ruled class would believe that the ruling class really had connection to the deities and became easier to rule and manage.