Spooky ‘tunnel to the underworld’ found hidden beneath Mexico’s ancient Pyramid of the Moon
The eerie passageway was discovered in the ancient city of Teotihuacán
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have found a secret tunnel hidden beneath a world-famous pyramid in Mexico - believed to have been built as link to the underworld.
The eerie passageway was found underneath the historic Pyramid of the Moon, the second-largest structure in the ancient city of Teotihuacán.
It goes from the Pyramid to the central square, which it is believed was used for human sacrifices and other rituals in front of an estimated 100,000 people.
Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History revealed researchers used a CT scanner to locate the tunnel about 30 feet (10 meters) below the surface of the plaza.
The historians who discovered it believe it mirrors the site's other great monuments and may represent a path to the underworld.
"The function of the tunnel may have been to reproduce the underworld, a world where life, animals, and plants originated,” said archaeologist Verónica Ortega.
It is similar to other tunnels that have been discovered there recently, like the tunnel that was found under the Temple of the Plumed Serpent.
While no one has been able to go inside the tunnel yet, the discovery was made through a method known as electrical resistivity tomography, which creates subterranean images.
A team of archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History was using the technique as part of their conservation efforts for the central square when they stumbled upon the tunnel.
The Pyramid of the Moon was likely used for human sacrifice and other rituals, based on studies of human remains found at burial sites.
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It is unclear what the tunnel may have been used for, and archaeologists plan to do more research to determine its purpose and whether or not it contains more artefacts.
Teotihuacán was long a major city and had a complex history, much of which has yet to be unwound.
It was one of the largest in the Americas in the pre-Columbian era (about 200BC) , having been home to at least 125,000 people.