In Underworld: Belize, the team are on a quest to discover why the Maya Civilisation disappeared around 900 AD. Underground, in the spectacular cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), they uncover a crystallised skeleton, the remains of human sacrifice from 1,100 years ago. In a land with no surface rivers the Maya relied on its underworld for fresh water, accessed via flooded sinkholes. Joining them is Professor Holley Moyes, whose investigations reveal a great megadrought in Central America between 700-900 AD that caused the Maya to venture further and further underground to make human sacrifices to their gods as they prayed for rains that would never come. A 3D scan of Las Cuevas reveals exactly how they had modified this cave as a pilgrimage site, with seating and a stage - a final act of desperation as their society collapsed.
