Mayan Apocalypse

**Mayan Apocalypse** is the 9th episode of Season 1 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Gates investigates the fall of the Mayan Empire. He explores the many cenotes— caverns believed to be gateways to the underworld—below the jungles and many ruins of Mexico, including the largest Mayan city, Chichén Itzá. While SCUBA diving in the dark waters of the Holtun Cenote, he unearths human skulls and ancient sacrificial altars, which gets him closer to why their empire collapsed

## Historical Context

"...the same can't be said for the once-great Mayan empire that mysteriously collapsed 1,000 years ago. Their once-vibrant cities and imposing pyramids were deserted, reclaimed by the jungle. So what went wrong? And can we protect our own future from whatever disaster consumed the Mayans? For years, archaeologists have had many theories but no answers. Until now, new evidence is emerging not in Mayan ruins, but beneath our feet in cenotes - dark, flooded caverns that the Maya believed were portals to the underworld."

- Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh starts his journey in Cancun, Mexico and then he goes to Tulum and meets with archaeologist Carmen Rojas. Carmen isn't sure why the Mayan disappeared. Josh then goes to Coba which has the largest Yucatan Mayan pyramid, Ixmoja. Josh goes to the top of Ixmoja and sees how difficult the landscape the Mayans lived in was and that only 2% of 6500 buildings in Coba have been excavated so far.

Josh goes back to Tulum and takes part in Dia de Los Muertos and the next day he goes to meet archaeologist Jovana Jimenez at a cenote. In the cenote, Jovana and Josh find an old piece of Mayan pottery which explains that the Mayans may have been so desperate for water that they would've come down into their underworld, Xibalba, to get it. At another cenote, they use an ROV to explore.

From the cenotes, Josh goes to Vallodolid and goes swimming at the Vallodolid Cenote and then visits Chichen Itza. Josh meets with Guillermo de Anda there and he says El Castillo, a pyramid there, was built in relation to cenotes, more than it was a calendar. They go up in an aeroplane to see the landscape from above. They see four cenotes in a diamond shape and in the centre is El Castillo.

Josh and Gullermo head to one of four cenotes, Holtun. The duo uses a rope system to go down 78 feet into the cenote. They dive in the cenote and find old pottery as well as a skull and sacrificial knife. They find many bones on a shelf, both animal and human, and Guillermo believes it is a sacrifice deposit.

The sacrifice deposit is at least twenty feet down underwater which leads Guillermo and Josh to believe there was a drought at the time, where the water levels in the cenote were much lower and sacrifices were happening to produce rain. They believe in the end that at the time Mayans chopped down so many trees and that resulted in a 20% - 30% rain decrease. This means that there was a drought caused, unknowingly, by the Mayans themselves.

## Final Words

"The Maya themselves didn't vanish. The culture and generations of people have survived. But the empire that once was is gone. It is said that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. World populations are exploding. Deforestation is rampant. And droughts are becoming more common. The seemingly silent ruins of the Mayan world whisper to us. We just need to listen. From crumblings pyramids above ground to the miles of flooded chambers in the underworld, the message is clear. We must strike a true balance with nature and live within our means. If not, we may be destined to answer to the Earth itself."

- Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* The Mexico Ministry of Culture restricted access to the Holtun cenote but Josh's team was able to negotiate, after many months, to film the dive.

## Quotes

* "It turns out my bag was sent to Washington D.C where I assume it's enjoying a tour of the nation's capital."
* "Today's cardio workout brought to you by the Mayan Empire."
* "It feels like I've wandered into a Tim Burton movie."
* "I don't know about Day of the dead but my diet just died."
* "I look like John Candy in Spaceballs."
* "I'm sorry, is this skeleton throwing gang signs right now?"
* "Wet suit plus harness is very package-y."
* "I'm literally trapped in this. I'm trapped in this poncho. This is it. Now I live in a poncho. How the hell can I not get out of something that doesn't even have arm holes."

## Gallery

Photos shown in the slideshow are from Travel Channel's Mayan Apocalypse slideshow. If you hover over the images, their exact image address will appear.

* Jovana, Josh, and the team diving in a cenoteGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-003.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276166.jpeg
* Jovana and Josh in an underground cenoteGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-005.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276180.jpeg
* Josh at the Day of the Dead FestivalGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-006.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276212.jpeg
* Josh samples local cuisineGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-007.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276253.jpeg
* Josh and a skeleton at the Day of the Dead Festival in TulumGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-008.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276338.jpeg
* Josh in CancunGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-001.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276143.jpeg
1/6
## References

1. ↑ https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullset/2015/02/24/expedition-unknown-109-mayan-apocalypse/expedition-unknown-josh-gates-mayan-apocalypse-ss-002.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491582276161.jpeg