Sistema Ox Bel Ha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sistema Ox Bel Ha |
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|---|---|
| Location | Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| Depth | 57.3 m (188 ft) |
| Length | 435.8 km (270.8 mi) |
| Discovery | February 1996 |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Entrances | 148 Cenotes |
| Difficulty | Advanced cave diving |
| Cave survey | Grupo de Exploración Ox Bel Ha |
Sistema Ox Bel Ha is a huge cave system in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Its name comes from the Mayan words meaning "Three Paths of Water." People often call it just Ox Bel Ha.
This amazing place is the longest explored underwater cave in the whole world. If you count dry caves too, it's the second longest cave system overall. As of January 2023, explorers have mapped out 435.8 kilometers (270.8 mi) of its underwater tunnels. The system also has more than 150 cenotes, which are natural sinkholes or wells.
Amazing Discoveries in Ox Bel Ha
A part of Sistema Ox Bel Ha is called the Naranjal subsystem. This area has been very important for learning about ancient times. Scientists have found the remains of three prehistoric humans inside this subsystem.
Ancient Human Remains
The Jailhouse cenote, also known as Las Palmas, is an entrance to some of these special discovery spots.
- Eve of Naharon: The skeleton of a young woman, about 18 to 20 years old, was found here. She is called Eve of Naharon. She lived around 13,454 years ago. Her remains were found about 368 m (1,207 ft) from the Jailhouse cenote entrance.
- Las Palmas Lady: Another skeleton, belonging to a woman aged 44 to 50, was discovered about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Jailhouse cenote. She is known as Las Palmas Lady and lived about 8,937 years ago.
- Muknal Grandfather: In the Muknal cave, which is part of the Naranjal subsystem, the remains of a man were found. He was about 40 to 50 years old and is called the Muknal Grandfather. He lived around 9,600 years ago. Unlike the other two skeletons, his bones show signs that his body was moved or reburied after his death.
These discoveries suggest that Ox Bel Ha was a very important place for ancient people. They might have used it for special ritual burials.
Ancient Animal Discoveries
Scientists also found a fossil jawbone in the Muknal cave. This jawbone belonged to an extinct type of peccary, which is an animal similar to a small pig. They named this new species Muknalia minima. However, later on, experts realized it was actually a younger version of the collared peccary, which still lives today.
See also
In Spanish: Sistema Ox Bel Ha para niños
- List of caves in Mexico
- List of longest caves
