Photographer's Comments

"This photograph was taken within a cave called Actun Tunichil Muknal, which is one of the most impressive caves in Belize. Along with it's amazing geological formations this cave is also packed with tons of Mayan artifacts. Among the many ceramic vessels found here, this intact one depicts an emblem of a monkey, probably representing a Howler Monkey, which are common in Belize's jungle. The Mayas believed that caves were the entrance to an underworld which they called Xibalba. As a result they performed many of their most sacred rituals within them. Many of the vessels within the cave are broken, which was part of a ritual which supposedly released the spirts held within them." Alex Gamero