In 2000, ARCHAEOLOGY took you deep into the jungle of Belize to explore caves used by the Maya long ago. Excavations in and around various caves helped us begin to understand what these ancient people were doing in these sacred and mysterious places, confirming some things we thought we knew and revealing new insights. Click here for more on the 2000 dig.

Back to the jungle in 2001, we joined the search for new caves--passages to the underworld that may have stood unvisited since the Maya themselves entered. An eight-day reconnaissance mission was conducted to pinpoint the locations, plot a course for the sites, and find the caves on the ground. When they were located, the crew investigated.