Caves of Lolutu, Yucatan, Mexico

(Las Grutas de Loltun)

Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay

---

The Limestone Hill Country

	The nearest village to the caves is Oxcutscub (the "x" is pronounced "sh"). Yucatan is mostly flat but near the Campeche border it does have low limestone hills.
	On the road from Oxcutscub to Loltun

The Caves

	Entrance to the caves.
	Hieroglyphics near the entrance.
	Visitors to American caves are used to hearing that the cave is cool year round. That's what happens when the average annual temperature is cool. Not here. It's about 85 degrees and 100 per cent humidity down there.

What Sinkholes Look Like from Underneath

Dark Deeds

"Here in Mani, in the year 1562, Fray Diego de Landa conducted the contemptible auto de fe in the courtyard of the Franciscan Convent. In it perished more than 10,000 Indians. Also 5000 idols of various shapes and sizes, 13 large altar stones, 22 small religious stones, 27 hieroglyphic scrolls written on deerskin which contained the historic record of the Maya civilization and culture, and 197 ceremonial vessels were destroyed in the immense inquisition fire. And even after many centuries the Indian cries in the silence of the night the story he has heard from his elders that recounts the destruction of the last kingdom of the Tutul-Xiu that existed in this province of Mani."

A place that ranks with Auschwitz in infamy.

---

Return to Historic Sites Index
Return to Virtual Field Trips Index
Return to Professor Dutch's Home Page

Created 25 November 2005, Last Update 06 June 2020