In a groundbreaking discovery beneath a centuries-old Mexican church, archaeologists have uncovered a complex network of tunnels that may hold the key to the ancient Zapotec underworld.
Hidden for centuries, this subterranean labyrinth was found under the Church of San Pablo Apostol in Mitla, a town that once thrived as a center of the Zapotec civilization from around 700 BC until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. This discovery not only sheds light on a culture steeped in mythology but also revives long-held legends about the Zapotecs’ sacred connection to the underworld.
The Church of San Pablo Apostol, built by the Spanish conquerors on the ruins of a sacred Zapotec temple, has been a site of intrigue for centuries. Early records from a Spanish priest famously described it as the “back door of hell,” hinting at deep, mysterious caverns beneath.
These caverns were said to be entrances to the underworld, a concept woven into Zapotec spiritual beliefs. However, past attempts to locate this fabled gateway were unsuccessful due to the tunnels being blocked or walled up. Now, using advanced ground-penetrating radar, archaeologists have finally mapped out extensive tunnels and chambers below the site.
Led by Marco Vigato of the ARX Project, researchers have identified five distinct groups of ruins beneath the town: the church group, the adobe group, the south group, the arroyo group, and the group of columns. Vigato noted that some of the tunnels beneath these groups reach a depth of over 15 meters, with portions of the south group extending as far as 30 meters underground.
“This is as far as the instruments can penetrate,” he explained, hinting that the network may be even more extensive, potentially spanning further north, east, and south.
The site holds a special cultural and historical significance as a possible royal burial site. The Zapotec kings, revered and deeply connected to their religious beliefs about the afterlife, may have been interred within this sprawling underground system. If these tunnels do indeed contain royal remains or artifacts, this discovery could reshape our understanding of Zapotec funerary practices and their cosmological views.
Further complicating the mystery is the potential age of these tunnels. While the Zapotec civilization flourished in Mitla until the early 1500s, the site shows evidence of agricultural activity dating back nearly 10,000 years, suggesting that the area has been inhabited by human societies far older than the Zapotecs.
“There is no indication at the moment as to the possible age of the tunnels under the church or the other groups of structures at Mitla,” Vigato said. This means that the tunnels may predate the Zapotecs themselves, potentially offering clues to even earlier civilizations.
