Hidden Canal Found Beneath Mayan Temple in Mexico (Video)

Last week, archaeologists made a discovery at the Temple of the Inscriptions in the Mayan ruins of Palenque. Using sonar, they found a canal under the temple that is believed to be a symbolic gateway to the underworld. 

The Temple of the Inscriptions contains the tomb of Pakal, a ruler of the Mayan civilization during the seventh century (615 AD - 683 AD). According to inscriptions found in the temple, the dead must be submerged in water to enter the afterlife. Researchers believe that this canal could represent a gateway to the underworld. 

The researchers think that the canal was likely built before the temple itself, indicating a greater amount of planning put into its construction than originally thought. Though ancient, the canal still has running water and stretches 17 meters from the burial chamber to the outer wall of the temple at which point the channel is too narrow to measure any further. The researchers do not know how far the canal runs but it could connect to other underground networks in the ruins.