| Naj Tunich Cave | |
|---|---|
 A wall drawing of a man in rare 3/4 profile, performing ritual genital bloodletting | |
| Location | Poptún, Guatemala |
| Discovery | 1979 |
| Geology | Karst |
Naj Tunich (Mopan Maya: /nah tunit͡ʃ/ "stone house, cave")[1] is a series of pre-Columbian era natural caves outside the village of La Compuerta, roughly 35 km east of Poptún in Guatemala.[2] The site was a Maya ritual pilgrimage site during the Classic period.[3] Artifacts show that the cave was accessed primarily during the Early Classic period. Deposits become rarer during the Late Classic period.[1] The fame of the cave, however, rests on its long Late Classic (c. AD 600–c. 900) hieroglyphic texts as well as on a considerable number painted scenes and figures.
In 2012, the caves were added to the Tentative Lists as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site. By that time, they were already a National Monument of Guatemala.[4]
- ^ a b Brady, James; Stone, Andrea (1986). "Naj Tunich: Entrance to the Maya Underworld". Archaeology. 39 (6): 18–25.
- ^ Naj Tunich Oxford Art
- ^ Stone, Joyce A. ""Spiritual Journeys, Secular Guises: Rock Art and Elite Pilgrimage at Naj Tunich Cave." Mexicon 36.2 (2014): 49-64".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Caves of Naj|Coordinates N16 16 32 W89 15 35