the National Geographic hangout it’s
glad to have you all here with us we’re
gonna be hanging out today with
archaeologist Guillermo de anda in the
Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico he’s going
to be taking us into an actual ancient
sacred Maya cave showing us the wonders
that are down there geologically
archaeologically and with the thrill of
diving into these cenotes filled with
water it’s gonna be a lot of fun and
we’re just working on some technical
difficulties with Guillermo down there
now in the meantime I’d like to get to
see everybody else is going to be
joining us here and coming into the cave
with us you know virtually at this first
off we have Brenda Cisneros Brenda is
joining us here because of the excellent
questions that she was asking by posting
questions to our blogs and hashtag let’s
explore on Twitter and YouTube you can
also participate in this conversation by
posting your questions so start your
brain going and I’m sure you’ll have
questions ask guillermo takes us down
there
Brenda sent some great ones in advance
and so we invited her to join us here so
Brenda it’s great to have you thank you
so much I’m really excited I’m looking
forward to exploring I’m gonna be doing
today yeah alright also exploring with
us are two National Geographic explorers
we have Beverly Goodman here
Beverly if you want to wave and say hi
so Beverly does amazing research
analyzing the the markings that have
been left by ancient tsunamis you might
think what good is knowledge of a
tsunami once it’s already happened but
because there’s such rare events the
more we can find about the more tsunamis
that have occurred the better it makes
us able to prepare or ones in the future
so that’s what Beverly is doing
combining archeology and geology
underwater to get a better sense of this
so she does a lot of discovery and I
think that’s what you’re going to see
here today is that there’s lots of
different kinds of discovery and these
people are doing lots of different kinds
of it I you’re in her room on the far
side there is another one of our
explorers all right now you may think oh
it’s winter it’s cold everywhere but
you’re just coming to us all the way up
from Norway so how’s it feeling out
there today sir it’s only like minus
five where I’m fine yeah you probably
don’t even need the Hat no no really
it’s just for show
Thanks so you’re into spectacular work
in paleontology looking back even
further than our ancient humans and
finding the sea monsters of the Arctic
that once roamed the seas you know the
things that they’re the remnants of
their bones throughout the world has
inspired tales of sea monsters from time
immemorial but they were real creatures
and urine has dug them up through the
snow through the wind through the rain
through the ice it’s uh it’s pretty
exciting archaeology or paleontology
yeah so we’re really glad to have you
here and then also we have Dave O’Keefe
in the middle there’s the Baywatch babes
a photographer joining us from
Manchester England so did you want to
say a little bit about what you might be
excited about discovering today yeah
yeah always have a love of history and
can’t wait to get down to KFOR do a lot
of trouble photography and just want to
see part wood I haven’t seen before
really that’s great
so all right let’s get a quick sense who
here has been to Mexico before anybody
Beverly and what did you get to do when
you were down there Oh Beverly you’ve
muted you admitted yourself Beverly so
give her a second yeah we couldn’t hear
you for a second try one more time great
okay I’m part of a pretty exciting
project in place called East Allegra
which is a run run by Jeffrey Glover and
and Dominic Rosello and we’re looking at
ancient harbors related to the maritime
Maya and my role in the project is to
sort of take some of the techniques that
we’ve been using the met rhenium and
apply it to this site that’s in the
Yucatan and it’s so I’ve had a chance to
go out there and we had a nice field
season about a year and a half ago and
we’re continuing to work down there so
that’s been my time in Mexico fantastic
fantastic so I am very happy to announce
that we just saw the name pop up that
Guillermo should be joining us in just a
second so if everybody’s ready see I’m a
little popping up there that’s
all right welcome that appears to be
National Geographic so give us here hung
up the phone all right
so great to have you guys with us we’ve
just been through everybody’s really
excited to be here I hope everybody at
home is excited send in your questions
post them in the comments that you can
see hashtag them let’s explore and we’ll
be watching for them and trying to get
your voice into this cave with us yamo
welcome so we’re ready to go let’s do it
let me take you the underworld waiters
like a nobody told me that every
explorer into the wall you’ll be the
branches and staff so we gotta make it
easier he’s gonna go down and then we’ll
pass a computer because he’s not it’s a
pretty tight space yes yes so we’re
gonna have one of you students go down
yeah Lisa’s here helping fantastic so we
don’t have to make any kind of you know
offerings to the gods in order to be
able to go down there safely student
wrecking that the ladder is secure oh it
letters always secure
what could possibly so to give you guys
some context we are here about an hour
outside of mayor
which is a city in the Yucatan Peninsula
of Mexico so if you picture Mexico as a
bhoot we’re right around the toes it’s
not too far from Cancun which you may
have been more familiar with so outside
of Merida is kind of heartland of the
Maya and here is a cave that they
explored more than a thousand years ago
and we’ll see remnants of their
experiences down there now so okay we
are inside the king
so Guillermo you you just walked through
a hole in the ground and are in a cave
is that how the Maya got there as well
yes exactly to hold the ground that’s
been there for maybe thousands of years
so the Maya I knew this cave just as we
are looking at it right now and you know
something very interesting about this
cave is that I am right on top of a Maya
structure it’s not just regular debris
mound they modified it and we are we can
say we’re on top of one of the very few
actually there is two only two pyramids
inside a cave in the Mayan area this is
one of them so I’m gonna take you down
to this trail let’s go this is amazing
right hi Jason how did you
pyramid inside the cave are you already
watching as well yeah we see great
you’re just had a question for you there
yeah let’s go okay okay have to be
careful here yeah there’s a very nice
ladder the only problem that this ladder
is made of stone and it was made about
1500 years ago okay it’s a Mayan
stairway that goes all the way inside
the cave and it’s it’s just amazing
because it’s so well preserved that we
are using it today so I’m gonna go down
through these steps so you can see more
apparent
personas que estan bien de los en
espanol estamos dentro de la cueva
mission historico the National
Geographic estamos en una Cueva que
tiene adentro una pyramid a yaw motion
pasar la center Hattori’s este scelera
antigua es una Escalera milking into
science when de menos great so guys if I
can also ask you some of the lights are
coming and really bright when we’re
talking to Guillermo
so if whoever’s holding the camera forum
can keep your headlamp not pointed
directly at him we’ll be able to see him
a lot better as he’s talking so
Guillermo if you can hear us
you’re had a question for you about
about this pyramid you only want to try
that again Jake yeah hi Carol I’ll do
put is disappeared yeah deep it to the
caverns don’t worry they’re well they’re
well connected and they know that all
they have to do is hit the link again
and they should be bringing it back but
you know this is I think you know as
much as it’s not as exciting to just
look at us this is the thrill of
discovery that we’re able to see on
these things right you know it’s like
Bob Ballard has a great quote when
people asked him what’s he gonna
discover he’s like if I knew what I was
going to discover it would have been
discovery so you’re you you’ve been to
some pretty crazy places looking for
things what what are some of the things
that you’ve been surprised that you
discovered that you’d never saw coming
oh that’s a hard one because you never
know what you what you’re going to find
really it’s a it’s a surprise every time
and when you suddenly when you suddenly
find the skeleton on a hillside the in
the Arctic you’re surprised every time
that search animals could live there 150
million years ago
absolutely now what was the environment
like where they did actually live there
oh it was about 200 meters so see above
us so it was no Guillermo’s back yeah oh
yeah well that’s moody alright you guys
are back back everyone’s still alive
believable if we’re inside a cave this
is
you’re looking we’re just very very well
inside the cave now so it’s great that’s
great you could see behind ya so you’re
had a question for you yeah you love
alright how how do they build a pyramid
inside the cave I think you know what it
is it’s a tempered differential between
Norway and a cave in Mexico so Dave so
you get to I imagine travel around the
world a bit doing your photography what
are some of the discoveries that you
have made that you never saw coming
uh what recently just got back from
Vietnam in Thailand and Vietnam was
completely different anything light sort
of expected from it I’d studied at
university but it was completely
different of the way of life and how
people were so relaxed and you know a
simple way of life is so happy with it
yeah that’s beautiful and it looks like
our friends are back in the cave Thanks
so yeah we could kind of look around
there we could start to see some of the
structures in the cave which we will see
again in just a moment go back you’re
taking us to Vietnam and you’re
surprised say this again yeah you saw
people live in a different culture
completely different from yourself but
um but make it do it enjoying it in new
ways yeah it was just just so simple you
know just making you know enough money
or growing crops to you know live and
support yourself without any sort of
luxuries but everyone see you know that
I can tell with it and it was very
social because well alongside that as
well yeah hmm okay all right who’s got a
question for Guillermo they’re back now
before we go okay fire away
so Brenda here you are
in a cave with your mother yonder what
do you want to ask you oh my god I’m a
demented mucho gusto I’m so excited to
move muy bien
si como si si have to stay a base contra
or how do you feel every time you go
into an eel cave somewhere you haven’t
been before like like this one how does
it feel to touch something so old well
let me tell you it feels like a big
responsibility and also like a privilege
so yeah it’s it’s really great to be
here
Maya steps thousands of years ago go
down to his ladder maybe to make your
reach wall so you can really feel it and
that makes you feel a be a big
responsibility
it’s the Cienega responsabilidad so I
see and understand Oh la pregunta me
dicen que que se siente estar en un
acuerdo sobre todo con nuestra por
primera vez I leave okay so la grande
responsabilidad es un gran privilegio
también el poder estar aqui muchas
gracias
so Guillermo describe what we’re seeing
in the cave for us a little bit here
okay sure we’re right like halfway down
through this structure and let me show
you to my right-hand side we can see a
wall and this is an artificial wall I’m
gonna go very slowly to avoid her
cameraman false because it’s a little
tricky and look there is a there is a
wall right here this was built by the
ancient Maya and we have about 40 feet
of the structure coming down they really
work on this as well on this stone
ladder that might you might see here you
can use some of the steps you can also
steal some pot shards meat pie charts
which it’s a evidence of the activity
that happened here and all this ladder
this structure was made we believe only
to get into the water as you noted that
you’re gonna see one of the most
beautiful sonatas
the Yucatan Peninsula Wow so gamma is is
the cenote why these people were down
there why they built the stairs why they
built the pyramid and when was that
yes I believe so
I believe they build it because of the
sacredness of this cave all caves were
very sacred they contain life they
contain water the deities live here
charge the god of rain this is his room
so he it was a very important place and
when a cave its combined with water it’s
combined with the cenote it became very
very important very sacred so innocent
okay
what is a cenote for people that don’t
know cenote is yet a cenote I’m sure
that’s a very good question
it’s the floret game is the part of the
cave that it’s florid so you have to
dive you have to go under the water
there and we continue our exploration
there actually one of our former
students now is an archaeologist
cooperating with us that day he’s going
to do a dive and gonna try to take a
picture for you yeah let’s do it
get him in there down okay for dad let
me let me show you some of the very
interesting features of this gate the
ancient Maya as I told you perceive this
is very very sacred spaces so I will
show you sign of the use of speleothems
speleothems are these formations that
take long time hundreds thousands of
years to form by just a dropping of
water so I’m going to show you some car
intentionally cut stalactite signs of
intentionally cut stalactite because
they were very very sacred and sometimes
they use them for offerings and
sometimes we find them in burials or or
in very important buildings and they
take measure analysis very they take
thousands of years to form the straw in
the Maya word they take thousands of
years to form in the cave right but the
Maya themselves that expend time this
cave lived a thousand years ago from us
right exactly exactly I do let me tell
you that
the the engine might have perceived this
as as as part of a living earth the
earth was alive and this dropping
represented that that the air was alive
and thus talaq Wow so what do you guys
think so far oh my gosh it’s an amazing
place just to know that he’s following
their footsteps like as they went down
the cave just like that wow it’s pretty
amazing yeah hey what do you think does
that make you want sheets of caves yeah
yeah it certainly looks like difficult
lighted situation don’t have but I don’t
know how my fans are going down this
sort of the original stone it looked
pretty strong yeah it’s for you every
time you get on a ladder that thing’s
only a couple years old this one you
know okay we’re back in the cave well I
was gonna show us deselect we’re in a
magic place so Mac okay walk through
this road which is actually a very nice
Road you can see it’s flat so we believe
the the ancient Maya make this in
purpose they work on this on this area
of the of the cave and we can walk is
like a little road that take us to
another cenote to my left
night but right now I am here very close
to the ceiling okay okay Wow and we have
Beverly back so I know that was some of
the questions that we were getting in
from people watching along online
we’re wondering about these roads and
they had seen the stories that have come
out in the news about some of your most
discoveries is perfectly paved pathways
that leave you know through the cave and
down and just disappear into the water
so clearly they were very you know
elaborate rituals that they were going
on down there you know people don’t just
spend a couple of days or weeks paving a
road in the middle of the cave and not
have a pretty good reason to do it
yeah yeah okay they’re coming on back
here let’s see if we can get them to
show off a little bit more of the cave
there we go we see you guys but we’re
seeing just kind of your faces can you
throw some lights behind you so we can
really get a good look around here okay
let me yeah yeah that looks great you
know this little little beings that they
caught they’re called a lucious so I am
asking the Aleutians very seriously and
respectfully to allow us to do this you
know the end should be I believe in
these spirits in the caves and they do
tricks to people probably this is what
it’s going it’s happening yesterday was
perfect when we try it out so let’s ask
the Aleutians to allow us to do this
study siento que estamos en la cueva
case a la de Cali speedy Poulos and he
was not expensive and in estas
experience como se dice que podrían a
selfie any time in podría hacer mal se
llaman elucha so say this pequeños cave
en las cuevas eat Alves a your system
Sandow todos estos trucos ghost an
interview local vision is very me
respect awesome into Travis can you
spare me confirma have speedy most
places here okay estamos en esta section
de la cueva Linda Jie Jason Tedrow this
is the ceiling and we see evidence of
intentionally cuts speleothems or
stalactites that were probably used in
rituals and now the theory is that they
use them as part of the process of mate
make Sarah ceramic and this was an
important part of it but it has been
proved through recent studies that the
importance of the stalactites of the
speleothems was much more ritual
than practical so maybe we have no more
questions about it and where most of the
of the rituals that were conducted
like bloody in nature or or not
necessarily know hi know that that’s a
very good question thank you for asking
that no they weren’t
essentially black bloody there was all
kinds of rituals some of them just
happened by depositing offerings to this
I noticed there was human sacrifices we
have to say that it was part of the
ancient Maya religion but it was not as
common as people believed it happened
and it happened specifically in caves in
cenotes but there are some other kind of
rituals that even take place nowadays
such as the cha-cha when the rainy
season is coming they make a special
ceremony very close to a cave or a
cenote to ask for the spirits of this in
order to bring good range for for
harvest okay all right so let’s continue
with our trip into the cave let me show
you maybe we can see here a very
beautiful part of the cave have to be
careful here especially with the
computer and look we have nice
decorations and you see that so this is
a very well decorated part of the cave
es una parte de la croix de cada muy
hermoso aproximadamente Lomita we’re
probably halfway to this anak me some
hundred fifty feet so is that where
Dante will go down yes Don T’s we’re
gonna go down in this is not the lid
let’s go there let’s let’s send him on
down yeah yeah these people don’t know
anything you’re gonna see bring down
great Garrett did people know about this
cave from Maya times up until you or was
it unknown for a long time and then you
guys rediscovered it we rediscover it it
was hang on for a long time just a very
small group of people that live nearby
use it to take to get water but the cave
was not explored by the time we got here
some time ago and you can tell because
it’s a very
preserve caved and you can still see
some patch arts and on the floor there’s
lots of them maybe we can you can see
one right here
well not have you been getting Oh
are there any writings
I’m so sorry go ahead oh sorry because
the room the room that you’re in right
now how many people could actually be in
the room that you’re in in the cave it’s
the huge huge room it’s some 150 feet
wide and you can see the entrance right
now that actually makes me think that
part of the reason we might be losing
him is their cable might be a little bit
loose so I’m gonna tell them to hold
onto their cable a little bit alright so
this would be great so we’re gonna get
in there we’re gonna get him to you know
show us around we’ll take a good look at
that pyramid back up at the skylight and
then we got to get Dante in the water oh
man I can’t wait to see this I wonder
did anybody see any writings on the
walls quickly because our satellite
modem outside is actually getting pretty
hot cuz okay 85 degrees out there so so
we’re not gonna go down quickly
alright go down get in the water you
have some cold from me only we can do
that if you drag okay so here we are
this is walking down the ladder down
this like 25-foot pyramid to the floor
of the cave so now we could see
Guillermo down on the floor so Kyra
where are you now
we’re close to the water Andrew maybe
you can see the water I don’t know he’s
there yeah a little bit more el Circo
you
there we go yeah yeah don’t follow too
close so that we can keep in there you
go
Joran have you done any keeping yourself
well there’s a lot of old mines around
in my district and I’ve been doing them
okay so Guillermo this is oh he’s out
again so you get you get the mines are
you exploring those caves looking for
things or there’s just a lot of nice
minerals in some of the old mines so
I’ve been a collector since I was a kid
in those areas and we climbed quite a
few of them it looks similar because
inside this caves – there’s a lot of
humans been working so let’s see
hang on back ok ok ok guys I think also
the cable might be a little loose if you
move the camera hold on to the hold on
to the cable to make sure that it’s uh
staying plugged in nicely there we go
the cable actually about that I think
we’re back and well we’re right here is
the water of the synoptic
yep there you go just yeah hold it still
there for a minute and we can look at it
yeah so Guillermo is that is that cave
water the same temperature as water at
the surface or is it colder waters at
hotter water than normally you know
actually use that really cold water it’s
about 27 centigrade so that might be
some 90 fi hi it’s very warm water Wow
and it’s so so clear it’s fantastic
and this is the most sacred part of our
cake because you know that the water is
here this is the realm of God this is
where humans could not go before and now
we can do it because we have school
equipment and we’re trying to do that
and that’s so so nice because now we
know much more about the ancient Maya
and it’s what like somebody at National
Geographic said we are right now joining
the past with the future through this
technology and diving and everything so
I’m so excited about this all right
let’s take a look it’s Dante ready to go
in I think Dante’s ready
he must I think he’s getting ready right
now but maybe we have more questions
yeah wonder we’re getting from the
public coming in and commenting on our
questions is how often when you’re
exploring caves do you actually find
something and how much is it just you
just see a cave and how much do you find
honor Ian Oh amazing how underwater
archaeology in the Mayan area it’s it’s
very good with archaeologists because we
always see something at least a pot
shard or the bowl you know there’s a lot
of animal bones here you remember these
systems and John may say something about
it they have been here for thousands of
years and we can found mastodons Gulf
appears a lot of extinct fauna from the
last ice age
okay so mammoths you said mammoths can
people know what a mammoth is but
gumpa fear can you what’s example here
well this one species of mammal because
actually we have not found mammoths and
in nan de Yucatan Peninsula they are the
Alpha tiers there’s a little smaller
kind of mammoths and it’s amazing it’s
amazing they are here and something else
the the state of preservation of
artifacts here it’s fantastic
they are sometimes the pass charged the
bones everything they are perfectly well
preserved so we can get a lot of being
formation from yeah okay
so Emily Roma has another question for
you she’s been commenting on Facebook
she said when you make these discoveries
what does it mean for the scientific
community how much have you changed the
history books by what you found
well I don’t want to be arrogant
archeology is the other what
archaeologists we have changed a little
bit the history books we now we know
much more about their rituals we know
much more about the first populations of
the Americas on this area we know much
more about the fauna that lived here a
long time ago ten twelve fifteen
thousand years ago so yes I think
archeology underwater archeology in
Mayan area cave archeology have made
huge contributions to history
now Beverly you do underwater
archaeology as well but in a very
different context what yeah what does
the air Mo’s work make you think and
wonder about oh gosh well it’s I mean I
think that one of the one of the really
exciting things working underwater which
Laura mentioned is that there are
certain things that we just get really
great preservation of underwater that
you might not get preservation of on
land and also you know I’d like to talk
about that how the pesky humans many
times you know will alter a site or or
impact it and underwater sometimes we
can get really lucky and get really good
preservation of things that on land we
might not so it’s it’s always a it’s
always fascinating to see how how
archaeological materials are different
underwater it’s sometimes I can kind of
fill in gaps in our knowledge
I of course work on the coastline so I’m
dealing usually more with harbors but
also because of sea level change and
these kind of things you know we can
have entirely submerged villages that
okay there’s like Beverly froze but
we’ve got Guillermo back one Explorer
two explorers at a time max I think it’s
okay monie is it Dante right better
looking at he just go down yeah just
hold the camera on him and we’ll watch
so I suppose that’s his light we could
see in the water yeah just hold the
camera right there we could see his
light yeah
so now Guillermo people are wondering
did the Maya didn’t go down into the
water today or did they explore inside
the water
can we look back at Dante – well I think
in spiritual specials everybody we’re
allowed to be here not everybody were
allowed to be in these sacred waters see
me they were priests to go down it’s a
little deep maybe I Tempe and we had
found evidence of that in small niches
in in areas but we believe direct food
water but maybe only the specialist very
very special kind of people okay but
they would have gone in so the bones and
things that you find down there people
are wondering you know with these people
that were sacrificed at the surface and
then deposited down in this cenote or
would they have been you know sacrificed
though you know go down into the cave
alive and then be brought down into the
watery underworld seem shocked by the
question yeah yeah pretty heavy topic
you know stop a man in his tracks to
think about what might have gone on down
there he’s coming back right now
all right here he comes
Oh perhaps that there we are no game oh
you’re back again a friend yes so the
bones that you find who were those
people and how did that how did their
bones end up in the caves oh let me tell
you that is back look at it and I asked
question right now great they were
Celeste
Patrick they are sort of the age of baby
because of their shape this shape some
important tools or people that like some
how the ritual it was so here is
daunting well ah all right that day all
right that’s all right we’ve got some
there you go here he is nothing what did
you see down there alright he’s down but
you know what we have video footage of
them diving underwater so if we can roll
some of that footage we’ll get to take a
look that way so that’ll come up in just
a second you know I’ll be able to see it
this is a footage from other expeditions
that they’ve taken down with you know
more lighting and you can just get a
sense of the full size of these caverns
when they’re they’re diving all right
welcome back yeah but we’re taking a
look at we’re taking a look at some
video footage from you diving there
alright yep you’re back you cannot start
telling us what Dante was doing down
there what did you see
okay all right okay all right well we
got more of this video no footage so
coming up back coming to you right next
we’ve got another clip that we can show
and this one I think shows some of the
bones and things that they have found
down there so let’s take a look yeah you
could see there at the bottom of these
cenotes are the skulls of these
sacrificial victims that he was talking
about and you can see you know obviously
the skulls are recognizable femurs and
arm bones and what’s really amazing is
you know the water is so still down
there for so much of history that you
know the bones will be scattered a few
feet but it’ll still be you know one
person and their remains left there you
know from a thousand years ago and maybe
even before that some of the bones that
they have found have been dated back to
long before the Maya civilization so
some of the questions that we had had
from people were about you know these
people that were there before the Maya
thousands of years before the Maya the
inter mo maybe you can answer this for
us
were the people thousands of years
before the Maya the ancestors of the
Maya or was this an entirely different
people when you find really old bones
yeah we do believe they are the answers
but you know right now the study of
these very old rings busiest re we have
there well ball team cetera oh snap
reveal we we will know if they were
spread culture or what were the
ancestors of the Maya and that’s by
testing the DNA in his bow and his teeth
and things that you found we have
chances to because of the state of
Prayer Wow
that’s what makes context jink and we
were not we know that when we know that
we will check the faith history stone
the needs to that yeah so so your new
user from yep and your new also have
found a lot of very interesting very old
bones that have you know started to
change stories for people I’m thinking
now less of the sea monsters and more
about EDA what what a good some of the
discoveries that you’ve made like that
that reach back and you know show us
whole new chapters yeah well it’s the
same with all these kinds of science I
guess that actually finding things on
the water or things that have drowned
that’s the best way to preserve fossils
or humans or anything so what I wonder
about when seeing this video clips is
why the bones are dis scattered at all
are these humans being chopped up before
they are thrown into the sin altar or or
are they actually is there some
scavengers down there why what have they
been moved at all if the water so still
yeah well he looks like he was about to
be back you can ask him okay okay
welcome back so your colleague in the
North had another question for you your
colleague from the North had another
question for you about the bones here hi
how are you hey hey why are the bones so
scattered order some scavengers down
there no now this beast in in the water
in these in these waters okay they must
have been snappers when they cave I can
you repeat that you broke up the airman
okay what’s them there’s no scene the
one now is or the times there were
scavengers maybe when these caves were I
more than 2,000 all died it’d be a pity
in the the ball scatter the mast because
sometimes they throw not complete bodies
but they throw either bars so there you
hear it you’re here saying sometimes
they would throw the whole body
sometimes dismembered parts yes yeah so
jeremu if you can hear us we have a
follow-up question to that from Tyler
Diffie came to us from Google+ he’s
wondering are there any dangerous
animals down there now see he’s about to
join back in okay you guys can cue up
your questions hopefully we’ll get a few
more from him we’re we’re actually
getting pretty close to the end of our
hour here so if you’ve got more
questions hopefully we’ll keep them on
long enough that we can start hitting
some more of these and getting more from
Guillermo down in the cave okay okay
Guillermo all right you’re back so we
were worried that when you went black as
we the question we just asked you is are
there more dangerous animals down there
now and then you’ve disappeared
I’m stirs the Maya believed there were
monsters yes Wow and so water somebody
oh go ahead Brenda were there any
specific animals that they held more or
got more more special than other animals
that you might you know see more of in
context because he feel as if eclipse
was very very important also deer the
deer was not only source of was a sick
animal so this is see a lot of a Jaguar
and adhere together because they were
part of the animal that leaving for work
the whirlwind but the other with danger
yeah speed you okay GUI Anna as
I was wondering FM we vary the speed
preservation underwater but does that
make the excavation all the more
difficult
yeah are you asking whether or not it
makes it more difficult because there’s
good preservation no just because of
obviously you say that the benefits of
there being good preservation but
because it’s on the water
does that obviously make it like
exponentially more difficult in on land
I would argue yes I mean lots of
excavations on land have their own
challenges if you’re working in an
alpine region if you’re working in the
desert everything has its own challenges
but certainly underwater it’s a whole
different set of tools a whole different
set of equipment logistically you’re
complicating matters and of course you
know if you’re doing you know really
deep sea stuff we were doing with robots
that’s a whole nother whole nother range
of problems but in the shallow water I
mean when I say shallow you know within
sort of conventional sport diving limits
you know we’re using tools that are
essentially vacuuming you know we’re not
really digging per se we’re more or less
vacuuming and but but the same rules
apply the same basic concepts the same
interest in stratigraphy you know once
really for of course for underwater
archaeology it’s it’s only as old as
scuba so there’s a lot a lot to be done
there’s so much work to be done and if
you put it into context of you know the
hundreds if not thousands of years where
you know archaeology is has has been
done you know and under you know
different names and in different ways
but for underwater archaeology it is
very young extremely young and you even
the technology that we’re using you know
it’s it’s being modified and improved
all the time and you’re finding even
though it’s like about needing to modify
it improve to check
that’s really one of the excitement
about getting to do these hangouts is
that you know you can sit here you can
talk to your mom across the country and
you can talk to your friends a few
blocks over and you know and this kind
of technology makes that so possible and
so easy but it also gives us new
opportunities like this where you know
here most out there I mean he’s
underground and that you can turn
Peninsula you know it’s a real discovery
he’s down there and we’re able to be a
part of that in a way that we never were
able to before you know to get you know
huge cameras down into these places to
broadcasted on television it’d be really
difficult so this technology is just
fantastic for us because it lets us get
people all around the world you’re like
we’ve got you know Texas and Britain
represented right here we’ve got Norway
and we’ve got Mexico I’m in the States
Beverly’s in Caesarea in Israel on the
Mediterranean coast I mean we’ve all
come together and we’re crammed into
this tiny little cave with Guillermo de
anda so chemos we’re getting we’re
getting close on our time yeah we’ve got
to wrap up we really want to check in on
Dante and get another look at the cave
as we kind of come back up to the
surface how’s he doing oh gosh he’s
doing great he’s got a picture Hey yeah
hold it hold it real close to the webcam
and we should be able to see it but I’m
over with better gonna be possible well
sir yeah hold it hold it hold the
computer really still and just bring the
camera right up to it Dave what’s that
you tell us to go over there um useful
individuals like tired he said he was
broken because time that is entire and
skull yeah so Dave what’s your question
for Dante seeing a picture come up from
down underneath a water underneath the
ground underneath the jungle uh just
sort of in terms of general photography
do you have to sort of still think about
composition and sort of that kind of
aspect of photography or did you just
try and get in get the photo as quick as
possible and get out
is it a scientific approach would you
see yourself have some artistic kind of
flair for it I think we’re back right
here just pop back up so give them the
short version of that one again hey hey
baby grabs it okay Dante I was just
wondering is this any sort of artistic
aspect to the photographer you take down
there or is it purely scientific get the
photo and get out as quick as possible
we work to be practically no four
features basic feature age or to try to
have the sect of the in debate so we try
to work fast well now because we go deep
we try to nice pitch what anthropology
done before we have beautiful though we
have a burst of turnover which is we
have our own era between the kept
computer and maybe we can in the block
okay yeah we could follow up I think he
would say yeah
go ahead your mom all right yeah you
know it’s it’s been been out there it
feels the same here’s about 93 degrees
and then fine high so we have a few
minutes here that’s a regular from the
condition for us or we work under this
condition time so get into what okay all
right guys the thing we’re gonna just
about wrap up we’ll try to get them out
of there safe and sound but thank you
all everybody for joining us
do you have any final questions you can
post them and we’ll also have follow-up
logs to show you more videos and photos
of Guillermo and the adventures that
they’ve had so hopefully they’ll get
them back and I hope that you’ve all had
a good time hanging out with us here at
National Geographic on Google+ our next
hangout come back and see us because on
March 8 we’re gonna be back up in your
neck of the woods Beverly where Susie
Sabu sara is gonna be talking about
cultural exploration we can explore lots
of different places in the world but you
can also describe and discover a lot
from the people who live there so we’re
gonna have a really good time with him
and Guillermo is back
all right memo I am back maybe I think
we’re gonna like cooking up there we may
Brunetta
me and we’re very happy that were part
of this if you have any other question
or what you should do any good yeah if
you have any more questions post it to
the blog we’ll try to get in touch with
you and hopefully we’ll find more ways
to bring your answers and your
explorations to the rest of the people
so thank you so much everybody down
there under Mexico you can all right get
yourself out of there safely and now
real quick I want to hit the rest of us
down here everybody give us a quick
answer Chris wampler on Facebook is
wondering what is your excitement on all
of your discoveries you know what was
the most exciting thing you found
Beverly real quick you just gotta go
with your gut all she’s muted she was
thrilled when she discovered the
beautiful it was it was really what
excited for the most in the world all
right
Beverly you’re still muted we’re going
to come back to you your what what
excited you the most what was your most
exciting discovery
I think it was when they found a five
and a half meter long ichthyosaur
completely preserved in the Arctic was a
great great moment fantastic
and Dave how about yourself nothing
close to Mike is that but oh it’s a
quite fortunate to see the second
knockdown recently I didn’t know that
this – so what I stumbled across that I
was quite surprised to quite a few play
that all right
and then Brenda how about your your life
this has definitely been at the top of
my charts I am just so happy it was like
we were actually there so this really
really this is amazing thank you for for
letting me be here with all of you I
mean I’ve never seen anything like like
what you have but if you ever want to
take an extra person with you
thanks a lot and Beverly you got a
second left what was your favorite
discovery definitely by far evidence for
fighting the Santorini tsunami deposit
all the way on the furthest extent of
the eastern Mediterranean was very
exciting awesome so you guys can read
all about that and more on National
Geographic calm thank you everybody for
joining us come back to join National
Geographic on Google+ on March 8th row
we’ll be hanging out with Ozzie Sabu
Sarah and talk about the discoveries
that you can make exploring other
cultures it’s been such a pleasure to
have you all here everybody have a great
day thanks a lot
glad to have you all here with us we’re
gonna be hanging out today with
archaeologist Guillermo de anda in the
Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico he’s going
to be taking us into an actual ancient
sacred Maya cave showing us the wonders
that are down there geologically
archaeologically and with the thrill of
diving into these cenotes filled with
water it’s gonna be a lot of fun and
we’re just working on some technical
difficulties with Guillermo down there
now in the meantime I’d like to get to
see everybody else is going to be
joining us here and coming into the cave
with us you know virtually at this first
off we have Brenda Cisneros Brenda is
joining us here because of the excellent
questions that she was asking by posting
questions to our blogs and hashtag let’s
explore on Twitter and YouTube you can
also participate in this conversation by
posting your questions so start your
brain going and I’m sure you’ll have
questions ask guillermo takes us down
there
Brenda sent some great ones in advance
and so we invited her to join us here so
Brenda it’s great to have you thank you
so much I’m really excited I’m looking
forward to exploring I’m gonna be doing
today yeah alright also exploring with
us are two National Geographic explorers
we have Beverly Goodman here
Beverly if you want to wave and say hi
so Beverly does amazing research
analyzing the the markings that have
been left by ancient tsunamis you might
think what good is knowledge of a
tsunami once it’s already happened but
because there’s such rare events the
more we can find about the more tsunamis
that have occurred the better it makes
us able to prepare or ones in the future
so that’s what Beverly is doing
combining archeology and geology
underwater to get a better sense of this
so she does a lot of discovery and I
think that’s what you’re going to see
here today is that there’s lots of
different kinds of discovery and these
people are doing lots of different kinds
of it I you’re in her room on the far
side there is another one of our
explorers all right now you may think oh
it’s winter it’s cold everywhere but
you’re just coming to us all the way up
from Norway so how’s it feeling out
there today sir it’s only like minus
five where I’m fine yeah you probably
don’t even need the Hat no no really
it’s just for show
Thanks so you’re into spectacular work
in paleontology looking back even
further than our ancient humans and
finding the sea monsters of the Arctic
that once roamed the seas you know the
things that they’re the remnants of
their bones throughout the world has
inspired tales of sea monsters from time
immemorial but they were real creatures
and urine has dug them up through the
snow through the wind through the rain
through the ice it’s uh it’s pretty
exciting archaeology or paleontology
yeah so we’re really glad to have you
here and then also we have Dave O’Keefe
in the middle there’s the Baywatch babes
a photographer joining us from
Manchester England so did you want to
say a little bit about what you might be
excited about discovering today yeah
yeah always have a love of history and
can’t wait to get down to KFOR do a lot
of trouble photography and just want to
see part wood I haven’t seen before
really that’s great
so all right let’s get a quick sense who
here has been to Mexico before anybody
Beverly and what did you get to do when
you were down there Oh Beverly you’ve
muted you admitted yourself Beverly so
give her a second yeah we couldn’t hear
you for a second try one more time great
okay I’m part of a pretty exciting
project in place called East Allegra
which is a run run by Jeffrey Glover and
and Dominic Rosello and we’re looking at
ancient harbors related to the maritime
Maya and my role in the project is to
sort of take some of the techniques that
we’ve been using the met rhenium and
apply it to this site that’s in the
Yucatan and it’s so I’ve had a chance to
go out there and we had a nice field
season about a year and a half ago and
we’re continuing to work down there so
that’s been my time in Mexico fantastic
fantastic so I am very happy to announce
that we just saw the name pop up that
Guillermo should be joining us in just a
second so if everybody’s ready see I’m a
little popping up there that’s
all right welcome that appears to be
National Geographic so give us here hung
up the phone all right
so great to have you guys with us we’ve
just been through everybody’s really
excited to be here I hope everybody at
home is excited send in your questions
post them in the comments that you can
see hashtag them let’s explore and we’ll
be watching for them and trying to get
your voice into this cave with us yamo
welcome so we’re ready to go let’s do it
let me take you the underworld waiters
like a nobody told me that every
explorer into the wall you’ll be the
branches and staff so we gotta make it
easier he’s gonna go down and then we’ll
pass a computer because he’s not it’s a
pretty tight space yes yes so we’re
gonna have one of you students go down
yeah Lisa’s here helping fantastic so we
don’t have to make any kind of you know
offerings to the gods in order to be
able to go down there safely student
wrecking that the ladder is secure oh it
letters always secure
what could possibly so to give you guys
some context we are here about an hour
outside of mayor
which is a city in the Yucatan Peninsula
of Mexico so if you picture Mexico as a
bhoot we’re right around the toes it’s
not too far from Cancun which you may
have been more familiar with so outside
of Merida is kind of heartland of the
Maya and here is a cave that they
explored more than a thousand years ago
and we’ll see remnants of their
experiences down there now so okay we
are inside the king
so Guillermo you you just walked through
a hole in the ground and are in a cave
is that how the Maya got there as well
yes exactly to hold the ground that’s
been there for maybe thousands of years
so the Maya I knew this cave just as we
are looking at it right now and you know
something very interesting about this
cave is that I am right on top of a Maya
structure it’s not just regular debris
mound they modified it and we are we can
say we’re on top of one of the very few
actually there is two only two pyramids
inside a cave in the Mayan area this is
one of them so I’m gonna take you down
to this trail let’s go this is amazing
right hi Jason how did you
pyramid inside the cave are you already
watching as well yeah we see great
you’re just had a question for you there
yeah let’s go okay okay have to be
careful here yeah there’s a very nice
ladder the only problem that this ladder
is made of stone and it was made about
1500 years ago okay it’s a Mayan
stairway that goes all the way inside
the cave and it’s it’s just amazing
because it’s so well preserved that we
are using it today so I’m gonna go down
through these steps so you can see more
apparent
personas que estan bien de los en
espanol estamos dentro de la cueva
mission historico the National
Geographic estamos en una Cueva que
tiene adentro una pyramid a yaw motion
pasar la center Hattori’s este scelera
antigua es una Escalera milking into
science when de menos great so guys if I
can also ask you some of the lights are
coming and really bright when we’re
talking to Guillermo
so if whoever’s holding the camera forum
can keep your headlamp not pointed
directly at him we’ll be able to see him
a lot better as he’s talking so
Guillermo if you can hear us
you’re had a question for you about
about this pyramid you only want to try
that again Jake yeah hi Carol I’ll do
put is disappeared yeah deep it to the
caverns don’t worry they’re well they’re
well connected and they know that all
they have to do is hit the link again
and they should be bringing it back but
you know this is I think you know as
much as it’s not as exciting to just
look at us this is the thrill of
discovery that we’re able to see on
these things right you know it’s like
Bob Ballard has a great quote when
people asked him what’s he gonna
discover he’s like if I knew what I was
going to discover it would have been
discovery so you’re you you’ve been to
some pretty crazy places looking for
things what what are some of the things
that you’ve been surprised that you
discovered that you’d never saw coming
oh that’s a hard one because you never
know what you what you’re going to find
really it’s a it’s a surprise every time
and when you suddenly when you suddenly
find the skeleton on a hillside the in
the Arctic you’re surprised every time
that search animals could live there 150
million years ago
absolutely now what was the environment
like where they did actually live there
oh it was about 200 meters so see above
us so it was no Guillermo’s back yeah oh
yeah well that’s moody alright you guys
are back back everyone’s still alive
believable if we’re inside a cave this
is
you’re looking we’re just very very well
inside the cave now so it’s great that’s
great you could see behind ya so you’re
had a question for you yeah you love
alright how how do they build a pyramid
inside the cave I think you know what it
is it’s a tempered differential between
Norway and a cave in Mexico so Dave so
you get to I imagine travel around the
world a bit doing your photography what
are some of the discoveries that you
have made that you never saw coming
uh what recently just got back from
Vietnam in Thailand and Vietnam was
completely different anything light sort
of expected from it I’d studied at
university but it was completely
different of the way of life and how
people were so relaxed and you know a
simple way of life is so happy with it
yeah that’s beautiful and it looks like
our friends are back in the cave Thanks
so yeah we could kind of look around
there we could start to see some of the
structures in the cave which we will see
again in just a moment go back you’re
taking us to Vietnam and you’re
surprised say this again yeah you saw
people live in a different culture
completely different from yourself but
um but make it do it enjoying it in new
ways yeah it was just just so simple you
know just making you know enough money
or growing crops to you know live and
support yourself without any sort of
luxuries but everyone see you know that
I can tell with it and it was very
social because well alongside that as
well yeah hmm okay all right who’s got a
question for Guillermo they’re back now
before we go okay fire away
so Brenda here you are
in a cave with your mother yonder what
do you want to ask you oh my god I’m a
demented mucho gusto I’m so excited to
move muy bien
si como si si have to stay a base contra
or how do you feel every time you go
into an eel cave somewhere you haven’t
been before like like this one how does
it feel to touch something so old well
let me tell you it feels like a big
responsibility and also like a privilege
so yeah it’s it’s really great to be
here
Maya steps thousands of years ago go
down to his ladder maybe to make your
reach wall so you can really feel it and
that makes you feel a be a big
responsibility
it’s the Cienega responsabilidad so I
see and understand Oh la pregunta me
dicen que que se siente estar en un
acuerdo sobre todo con nuestra por
primera vez I leave okay so la grande
responsabilidad es un gran privilegio
también el poder estar aqui muchas
gracias
so Guillermo describe what we’re seeing
in the cave for us a little bit here
okay sure we’re right like halfway down
through this structure and let me show
you to my right-hand side we can see a
wall and this is an artificial wall I’m
gonna go very slowly to avoid her
cameraman false because it’s a little
tricky and look there is a there is a
wall right here this was built by the
ancient Maya and we have about 40 feet
of the structure coming down they really
work on this as well on this stone
ladder that might you might see here you
can use some of the steps you can also
steal some pot shards meat pie charts
which it’s a evidence of the activity
that happened here and all this ladder
this structure was made we believe only
to get into the water as you noted that
you’re gonna see one of the most
beautiful sonatas
the Yucatan Peninsula Wow so gamma is is
the cenote why these people were down
there why they built the stairs why they
built the pyramid and when was that
yes I believe so
I believe they build it because of the
sacredness of this cave all caves were
very sacred they contain life they
contain water the deities live here
charge the god of rain this is his room
so he it was a very important place and
when a cave its combined with water it’s
combined with the cenote it became very
very important very sacred so innocent
okay
what is a cenote for people that don’t
know cenote is yet a cenote I’m sure
that’s a very good question
it’s the floret game is the part of the
cave that it’s florid so you have to
dive you have to go under the water
there and we continue our exploration
there actually one of our former
students now is an archaeologist
cooperating with us that day he’s going
to do a dive and gonna try to take a
picture for you yeah let’s do it
get him in there down okay for dad let
me let me show you some of the very
interesting features of this gate the
ancient Maya as I told you perceive this
is very very sacred spaces so I will
show you sign of the use of speleothems
speleothems are these formations that
take long time hundreds thousands of
years to form by just a dropping of
water so I’m going to show you some car
intentionally cut stalactite signs of
intentionally cut stalactite because
they were very very sacred and sometimes
they use them for offerings and
sometimes we find them in burials or or
in very important buildings and they
take measure analysis very they take
thousands of years to form the straw in
the Maya word they take thousands of
years to form in the cave right but the
Maya themselves that expend time this
cave lived a thousand years ago from us
right exactly exactly I do let me tell
you that
the the engine might have perceived this
as as as part of a living earth the
earth was alive and this dropping
represented that that the air was alive
and thus talaq Wow so what do you guys
think so far oh my gosh it’s an amazing
place just to know that he’s following
their footsteps like as they went down
the cave just like that wow it’s pretty
amazing yeah hey what do you think does
that make you want sheets of caves yeah
yeah it certainly looks like difficult
lighted situation don’t have but I don’t
know how my fans are going down this
sort of the original stone it looked
pretty strong yeah it’s for you every
time you get on a ladder that thing’s
only a couple years old this one you
know okay we’re back in the cave well I
was gonna show us deselect we’re in a
magic place so Mac okay walk through
this road which is actually a very nice
Road you can see it’s flat so we believe
the the ancient Maya make this in
purpose they work on this on this area
of the of the cave and we can walk is
like a little road that take us to
another cenote to my left
night but right now I am here very close
to the ceiling okay okay Wow and we have
Beverly back so I know that was some of
the questions that we were getting in
from people watching along online
we’re wondering about these roads and
they had seen the stories that have come
out in the news about some of your most
discoveries is perfectly paved pathways
that leave you know through the cave and
down and just disappear into the water
so clearly they were very you know
elaborate rituals that they were going
on down there you know people don’t just
spend a couple of days or weeks paving a
road in the middle of the cave and not
have a pretty good reason to do it
yeah yeah okay they’re coming on back
here let’s see if we can get them to
show off a little bit more of the cave
there we go we see you guys but we’re
seeing just kind of your faces can you
throw some lights behind you so we can
really get a good look around here okay
let me yeah yeah that looks great you
know this little little beings that they
caught they’re called a lucious so I am
asking the Aleutians very seriously and
respectfully to allow us to do this you
know the end should be I believe in
these spirits in the caves and they do
tricks to people probably this is what
it’s going it’s happening yesterday was
perfect when we try it out so let’s ask
the Aleutians to allow us to do this
study siento que estamos en la cueva
case a la de Cali speedy Poulos and he
was not expensive and in estas
experience como se dice que podrían a
selfie any time in podría hacer mal se
llaman elucha so say this pequeños cave
en las cuevas eat Alves a your system
Sandow todos estos trucos ghost an
interview local vision is very me
respect awesome into Travis can you
spare me confirma have speedy most
places here okay estamos en esta section
de la cueva Linda Jie Jason Tedrow this
is the ceiling and we see evidence of
intentionally cuts speleothems or
stalactites that were probably used in
rituals and now the theory is that they
use them as part of the process of mate
make Sarah ceramic and this was an
important part of it but it has been
proved through recent studies that the
importance of the stalactites of the
speleothems was much more ritual
than practical so maybe we have no more
questions about it and where most of the
of the rituals that were conducted
like bloody in nature or or not
necessarily know hi know that that’s a
very good question thank you for asking
that no they weren’t
essentially black bloody there was all
kinds of rituals some of them just
happened by depositing offerings to this
I noticed there was human sacrifices we
have to say that it was part of the
ancient Maya religion but it was not as
common as people believed it happened
and it happened specifically in caves in
cenotes but there are some other kind of
rituals that even take place nowadays
such as the cha-cha when the rainy
season is coming they make a special
ceremony very close to a cave or a
cenote to ask for the spirits of this in
order to bring good range for for
harvest okay all right so let’s continue
with our trip into the cave let me show
you maybe we can see here a very
beautiful part of the cave have to be
careful here especially with the
computer and look we have nice
decorations and you see that so this is
a very well decorated part of the cave
es una parte de la croix de cada muy
hermoso aproximadamente Lomita we’re
probably halfway to this anak me some
hundred fifty feet so is that where
Dante will go down yes Don T’s we’re
gonna go down in this is not the lid
let’s go there let’s let’s send him on
down yeah yeah these people don’t know
anything you’re gonna see bring down
great Garrett did people know about this
cave from Maya times up until you or was
it unknown for a long time and then you
guys rediscovered it we rediscover it it
was hang on for a long time just a very
small group of people that live nearby
use it to take to get water but the cave
was not explored by the time we got here
some time ago and you can tell because
it’s a very
preserve caved and you can still see
some patch arts and on the floor there’s
lots of them maybe we can you can see
one right here
well not have you been getting Oh
are there any writings
I’m so sorry go ahead oh sorry because
the room the room that you’re in right
now how many people could actually be in
the room that you’re in in the cave it’s
the huge huge room it’s some 150 feet
wide and you can see the entrance right
now that actually makes me think that
part of the reason we might be losing
him is their cable might be a little bit
loose so I’m gonna tell them to hold
onto their cable a little bit alright so
this would be great so we’re gonna get
in there we’re gonna get him to you know
show us around we’ll take a good look at
that pyramid back up at the skylight and
then we got to get Dante in the water oh
man I can’t wait to see this I wonder
did anybody see any writings on the
walls quickly because our satellite
modem outside is actually getting pretty
hot cuz okay 85 degrees out there so so
we’re not gonna go down quickly
alright go down get in the water you
have some cold from me only we can do
that if you drag okay so here we are
this is walking down the ladder down
this like 25-foot pyramid to the floor
of the cave so now we could see
Guillermo down on the floor so Kyra
where are you now
we’re close to the water Andrew maybe
you can see the water I don’t know he’s
there yeah a little bit more el Circo
you
there we go yeah yeah don’t follow too
close so that we can keep in there you
go
Joran have you done any keeping yourself
well there’s a lot of old mines around
in my district and I’ve been doing them
okay so Guillermo this is oh he’s out
again so you get you get the mines are
you exploring those caves looking for
things or there’s just a lot of nice
minerals in some of the old mines so
I’ve been a collector since I was a kid
in those areas and we climbed quite a
few of them it looks similar because
inside this caves – there’s a lot of
humans been working so let’s see
hang on back ok ok ok guys I think also
the cable might be a little loose if you
move the camera hold on to the hold on
to the cable to make sure that it’s uh
staying plugged in nicely there we go
the cable actually about that I think
we’re back and well we’re right here is
the water of the synoptic
yep there you go just yeah hold it still
there for a minute and we can look at it
yeah so Guillermo is that is that cave
water the same temperature as water at
the surface or is it colder waters at
hotter water than normally you know
actually use that really cold water it’s
about 27 centigrade so that might be
some 90 fi hi it’s very warm water Wow
and it’s so so clear it’s fantastic
and this is the most sacred part of our
cake because you know that the water is
here this is the realm of God this is
where humans could not go before and now
we can do it because we have school
equipment and we’re trying to do that
and that’s so so nice because now we
know much more about the ancient Maya
and it’s what like somebody at National
Geographic said we are right now joining
the past with the future through this
technology and diving and everything so
I’m so excited about this all right
let’s take a look it’s Dante ready to go
in I think Dante’s ready
he must I think he’s getting ready right
now but maybe we have more questions
yeah wonder we’re getting from the
public coming in and commenting on our
questions is how often when you’re
exploring caves do you actually find
something and how much is it just you
just see a cave and how much do you find
honor Ian Oh amazing how underwater
archaeology in the Mayan area it’s it’s
very good with archaeologists because we
always see something at least a pot
shard or the bowl you know there’s a lot
of animal bones here you remember these
systems and John may say something about
it they have been here for thousands of
years and we can found mastodons Gulf
appears a lot of extinct fauna from the
last ice age
okay so mammoths you said mammoths can
people know what a mammoth is but
gumpa fear can you what’s example here
well this one species of mammal because
actually we have not found mammoths and
in nan de Yucatan Peninsula they are the
Alpha tiers there’s a little smaller
kind of mammoths and it’s amazing it’s
amazing they are here and something else
the the state of preservation of
artifacts here it’s fantastic
they are sometimes the pass charged the
bones everything they are perfectly well
preserved so we can get a lot of being
formation from yeah okay
so Emily Roma has another question for
you she’s been commenting on Facebook
she said when you make these discoveries
what does it mean for the scientific
community how much have you changed the
history books by what you found
well I don’t want to be arrogant
archeology is the other what
archaeologists we have changed a little
bit the history books we now we know
much more about their rituals we know
much more about the first populations of
the Americas on this area we know much
more about the fauna that lived here a
long time ago ten twelve fifteen
thousand years ago so yes I think
archeology underwater archeology in
Mayan area cave archeology have made
huge contributions to history
now Beverly you do underwater
archaeology as well but in a very
different context what yeah what does
the air Mo’s work make you think and
wonder about oh gosh well it’s I mean I
think that one of the one of the really
exciting things working underwater which
Laura mentioned is that there are
certain things that we just get really
great preservation of underwater that
you might not get preservation of on
land and also you know I’d like to talk
about that how the pesky humans many
times you know will alter a site or or
impact it and underwater sometimes we
can get really lucky and get really good
preservation of things that on land we
might not so it’s it’s always a it’s
always fascinating to see how how
archaeological materials are different
underwater it’s sometimes I can kind of
fill in gaps in our knowledge
I of course work on the coastline so I’m
dealing usually more with harbors but
also because of sea level change and
these kind of things you know we can
have entirely submerged villages that
okay there’s like Beverly froze but
we’ve got Guillermo back one Explorer
two explorers at a time max I think it’s
okay monie is it Dante right better
looking at he just go down yeah just
hold the camera on him and we’ll watch
so I suppose that’s his light we could
see in the water yeah just hold the
camera right there we could see his
light yeah
so now Guillermo people are wondering
did the Maya didn’t go down into the
water today or did they explore inside
the water
can we look back at Dante – well I think
in spiritual specials everybody we’re
allowed to be here not everybody were
allowed to be in these sacred waters see
me they were priests to go down it’s a
little deep maybe I Tempe and we had
found evidence of that in small niches
in in areas but we believe direct food
water but maybe only the specialist very
very special kind of people okay but
they would have gone in so the bones and
things that you find down there people
are wondering you know with these people
that were sacrificed at the surface and
then deposited down in this cenote or
would they have been you know sacrificed
though you know go down into the cave
alive and then be brought down into the
watery underworld seem shocked by the
question yeah yeah pretty heavy topic
you know stop a man in his tracks to
think about what might have gone on down
there he’s coming back right now
all right here he comes
Oh perhaps that there we are no game oh
you’re back again a friend yes so the
bones that you find who were those
people and how did that how did their
bones end up in the caves oh let me tell
you that is back look at it and I asked
question right now great they were
Celeste
Patrick they are sort of the age of baby
because of their shape this shape some
important tools or people that like some
how the ritual it was so here is
daunting well ah all right that day all
right that’s all right we’ve got some
there you go here he is nothing what did
you see down there alright he’s down but
you know what we have video footage of
them diving underwater so if we can roll
some of that footage we’ll get to take a
look that way so that’ll come up in just
a second you know I’ll be able to see it
this is a footage from other expeditions
that they’ve taken down with you know
more lighting and you can just get a
sense of the full size of these caverns
when they’re they’re diving all right
welcome back yeah but we’re taking a
look at we’re taking a look at some
video footage from you diving there
alright yep you’re back you cannot start
telling us what Dante was doing down
there what did you see
okay all right okay all right well we
got more of this video no footage so
coming up back coming to you right next
we’ve got another clip that we can show
and this one I think shows some of the
bones and things that they have found
down there so let’s take a look yeah you
could see there at the bottom of these
cenotes are the skulls of these
sacrificial victims that he was talking
about and you can see you know obviously
the skulls are recognizable femurs and
arm bones and what’s really amazing is
you know the water is so still down
there for so much of history that you
know the bones will be scattered a few
feet but it’ll still be you know one
person and their remains left there you
know from a thousand years ago and maybe
even before that some of the bones that
they have found have been dated back to
long before the Maya civilization so
some of the questions that we had had
from people were about you know these
people that were there before the Maya
thousands of years before the Maya the
inter mo maybe you can answer this for
us
were the people thousands of years
before the Maya the ancestors of the
Maya or was this an entirely different
people when you find really old bones
yeah we do believe they are the answers
but you know right now the study of
these very old rings busiest re we have
there well ball team cetera oh snap
reveal we we will know if they were
spread culture or what were the
ancestors of the Maya and that’s by
testing the DNA in his bow and his teeth
and things that you found we have
chances to because of the state of
Prayer Wow
that’s what makes context jink and we
were not we know that when we know that
we will check the faith history stone
the needs to that yeah so so your new
user from yep and your new also have
found a lot of very interesting very old
bones that have you know started to
change stories for people I’m thinking
now less of the sea monsters and more
about EDA what what a good some of the
discoveries that you’ve made like that
that reach back and you know show us
whole new chapters yeah well it’s the
same with all these kinds of science I
guess that actually finding things on
the water or things that have drowned
that’s the best way to preserve fossils
or humans or anything so what I wonder
about when seeing this video clips is
why the bones are dis scattered at all
are these humans being chopped up before
they are thrown into the sin altar or or
are they actually is there some
scavengers down there why what have they
been moved at all if the water so still
yeah well he looks like he was about to
be back you can ask him okay okay
welcome back so your colleague in the
North had another question for you your
colleague from the North had another
question for you about the bones here hi
how are you hey hey why are the bones so
scattered order some scavengers down
there no now this beast in in the water
in these in these waters okay they must
have been snappers when they cave I can
you repeat that you broke up the airman
okay what’s them there’s no scene the
one now is or the times there were
scavengers maybe when these caves were I
more than 2,000 all died it’d be a pity
in the the ball scatter the mast because
sometimes they throw not complete bodies
but they throw either bars so there you
hear it you’re here saying sometimes
they would throw the whole body
sometimes dismembered parts yes yeah so
jeremu if you can hear us we have a
follow-up question to that from Tyler
Diffie came to us from Google+ he’s
wondering are there any dangerous
animals down there now see he’s about to
join back in okay you guys can cue up
your questions hopefully we’ll get a few
more from him we’re we’re actually
getting pretty close to the end of our
hour here so if you’ve got more
questions hopefully we’ll keep them on
long enough that we can start hitting
some more of these and getting more from
Guillermo down in the cave okay okay
Guillermo all right you’re back so we
were worried that when you went black as
we the question we just asked you is are
there more dangerous animals down there
now and then you’ve disappeared
I’m stirs the Maya believed there were
monsters yes Wow and so water somebody
oh go ahead Brenda were there any
specific animals that they held more or
got more more special than other animals
that you might you know see more of in
context because he feel as if eclipse
was very very important also deer the
deer was not only source of was a sick
animal so this is see a lot of a Jaguar
and adhere together because they were
part of the animal that leaving for work
the whirlwind but the other with danger
yeah speed you okay GUI Anna as
I was wondering FM we vary the speed
preservation underwater but does that
make the excavation all the more
difficult
yeah are you asking whether or not it
makes it more difficult because there’s
good preservation no just because of
obviously you say that the benefits of
there being good preservation but
because it’s on the water
does that obviously make it like
exponentially more difficult in on land
I would argue yes I mean lots of
excavations on land have their own
challenges if you’re working in an
alpine region if you’re working in the
desert everything has its own challenges
but certainly underwater it’s a whole
different set of tools a whole different
set of equipment logistically you’re
complicating matters and of course you
know if you’re doing you know really
deep sea stuff we were doing with robots
that’s a whole nother whole nother range
of problems but in the shallow water I
mean when I say shallow you know within
sort of conventional sport diving limits
you know we’re using tools that are
essentially vacuuming you know we’re not
really digging per se we’re more or less
vacuuming and but but the same rules
apply the same basic concepts the same
interest in stratigraphy you know once
really for of course for underwater
archaeology it’s it’s only as old as
scuba so there’s a lot a lot to be done
there’s so much work to be done and if
you put it into context of you know the
hundreds if not thousands of years where
you know archaeology is has has been
done you know and under you know
different names and in different ways
but for underwater archaeology it is
very young extremely young and you even
the technology that we’re using you know
it’s it’s being modified and improved
all the time and you’re finding even
though it’s like about needing to modify
it improve to check
that’s really one of the excitement
about getting to do these hangouts is
that you know you can sit here you can
talk to your mom across the country and
you can talk to your friends a few
blocks over and you know and this kind
of technology makes that so possible and
so easy but it also gives us new
opportunities like this where you know
here most out there I mean he’s
underground and that you can turn
Peninsula you know it’s a real discovery
he’s down there and we’re able to be a
part of that in a way that we never were
able to before you know to get you know
huge cameras down into these places to
broadcasted on television it’d be really
difficult so this technology is just
fantastic for us because it lets us get
people all around the world you’re like
we’ve got you know Texas and Britain
represented right here we’ve got Norway
and we’ve got Mexico I’m in the States
Beverly’s in Caesarea in Israel on the
Mediterranean coast I mean we’ve all
come together and we’re crammed into
this tiny little cave with Guillermo de
anda so chemos we’re getting we’re
getting close on our time yeah we’ve got
to wrap up we really want to check in on
Dante and get another look at the cave
as we kind of come back up to the
surface how’s he doing oh gosh he’s
doing great he’s got a picture Hey yeah
hold it hold it real close to the webcam
and we should be able to see it but I’m
over with better gonna be possible well
sir yeah hold it hold it hold the
computer really still and just bring the
camera right up to it Dave what’s that
you tell us to go over there um useful
individuals like tired he said he was
broken because time that is entire and
skull yeah so Dave what’s your question
for Dante seeing a picture come up from
down underneath a water underneath the
ground underneath the jungle uh just
sort of in terms of general photography
do you have to sort of still think about
composition and sort of that kind of
aspect of photography or did you just
try and get in get the photo as quick as
possible and get out
is it a scientific approach would you
see yourself have some artistic kind of
flair for it I think we’re back right
here just pop back up so give them the
short version of that one again hey hey
baby grabs it okay Dante I was just
wondering is this any sort of artistic
aspect to the photographer you take down
there or is it purely scientific get the
photo and get out as quick as possible
we work to be practically no four
features basic feature age or to try to
have the sect of the in debate so we try
to work fast well now because we go deep
we try to nice pitch what anthropology
done before we have beautiful though we
have a burst of turnover which is we
have our own era between the kept
computer and maybe we can in the block
okay yeah we could follow up I think he
would say yeah
go ahead your mom all right yeah you
know it’s it’s been been out there it
feels the same here’s about 93 degrees
and then fine high so we have a few
minutes here that’s a regular from the
condition for us or we work under this
condition time so get into what okay all
right guys the thing we’re gonna just
about wrap up we’ll try to get them out
of there safe and sound but thank you
all everybody for joining us
do you have any final questions you can
post them and we’ll also have follow-up
logs to show you more videos and photos
of Guillermo and the adventures that
they’ve had so hopefully they’ll get
them back and I hope that you’ve all had
a good time hanging out with us here at
National Geographic on Google+ our next
hangout come back and see us because on
March 8 we’re gonna be back up in your
neck of the woods Beverly where Susie
Sabu sara is gonna be talking about
cultural exploration we can explore lots
of different places in the world but you
can also describe and discover a lot
from the people who live there so we’re
gonna have a really good time with him
and Guillermo is back
all right memo I am back maybe I think
we’re gonna like cooking up there we may
Brunetta
me and we’re very happy that were part
of this if you have any other question
or what you should do any good yeah if
you have any more questions post it to
the blog we’ll try to get in touch with
you and hopefully we’ll find more ways
to bring your answers and your
explorations to the rest of the people
so thank you so much everybody down
there under Mexico you can all right get
yourself out of there safely and now
real quick I want to hit the rest of us
down here everybody give us a quick
answer Chris wampler on Facebook is
wondering what is your excitement on all
of your discoveries you know what was
the most exciting thing you found
Beverly real quick you just gotta go
with your gut all she’s muted she was
thrilled when she discovered the
beautiful it was it was really what
excited for the most in the world all
right
Beverly you’re still muted we’re going
to come back to you your what what
excited you the most what was your most
exciting discovery
I think it was when they found a five
and a half meter long ichthyosaur
completely preserved in the Arctic was a
great great moment fantastic
and Dave how about yourself nothing
close to Mike is that but oh it’s a
quite fortunate to see the second
knockdown recently I didn’t know that
this – so what I stumbled across that I
was quite surprised to quite a few play
that all right
and then Brenda how about your your life
this has definitely been at the top of
my charts I am just so happy it was like
we were actually there so this really
really this is amazing thank you for for
letting me be here with all of you I
mean I’ve never seen anything like like
what you have but if you ever want to
take an extra person with you
thanks a lot and Beverly you got a
second left what was your favorite
discovery definitely by far evidence for
fighting the Santorini tsunami deposit
all the way on the furthest extent of
the eastern Mediterranean was very
exciting awesome so you guys can read
all about that and more on National
Geographic calm thank you everybody for
joining us come back to join National
Geographic on Google+ on March 8th row
we’ll be hanging out with Ozzie Sabu
Sarah and talk about the discoveries
that you can make exploring other
cultures it’s been such a pleasure to
have you all here everybody have a great
day thanks a lot
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