The dead man lay in his underground shelter 1600 years. About it long forgotten, and no one disturbed the peace of the Lord of the ancient Maya. Tireless archeologists discovered in Guatemala, the tomb of the unknown ruler.

In the grave, except for the remains of an adult male, lay the bones of six children, who followed him in the afterlife. In the burial found in the rich burial gifts. Valuable items in the grave of a noble Maya surprisingly well preserved. Among them there are a lot of strange strange parts, which can be interpreted in different ways. Scientists are investigating the findings and analysis of the results.

El Zotz lonely place. Around impenetrable thicket are swampy jungle where silently creep up behind the extraction of jaguars and pumas. At dusk goes hunting crocodile is not very large, up to three metres long with a broad face, with strong legs and a very strong tail. Producing awesome noises are worn over the dense whole Horde of bats that live nearby, in the rocks and in the cave of the Mayan pyramids of El Diablo. The pyramid-shaped building with a height of 45 metres got ominous name, because she has such a steep walls, to climb up very difficult and dangerous. In the evenings flocks of bats, rising into the air, close the heavens, and it is because of bats ancient lying in the ruins of the Mayan city called El Zotz.

The ruins of El Zotz opened archaeologist Marco Antonio bale in 1977. More recently, four of archaeologists from brown University North American state of Rhode island dug up there tomb of the ruler of the Maya.

"Something in the land was strange, - says the head of the excavations Stephen Houston. - We took off one layer and immediately found a lot of blood-red bowls of human fingers and teeth. Originally fingers and teeth had been wrapped - organic substances of these wrappers stuck to the walls of bowls". Archaeologists gently continued to dig deeper, scraped layer by layer inside the temple buildings. Finally they tried to pierce the soil is thin probe to find out whether inside of cavities. "And at that moment we fell to the earth, the anticipation of the opening, " says Houston. - The probe made its way into the little hole, but through the gap we have not seen anything but gloomy darkness".

The camera still stood smell of decay. Archaeologists took a little bright flashlight and lowered it down into the black void. "Suddenly a beam of the flashlight snatched from black colored spots of red, green, yellow". In the light of the lantern researchers first saw the tomb of the ruler of the Maya.

Hard to believe, but sixteen hundred years no one had entered the tomb, filled with valuable items. There were pottery, textiles, jewelry, painted wooden articles - all performed at a high artistic level. Wet solid ground almost never missed oxygen in the burial chamber. In tightly sealed underground tomb has created favourable conditions for the preservation of organic substances - they are not decomposed, and vegetable dyes remained remarkably fresh and bright. This is a rare success for archaeologists.

"We still have a lot of work ahead, " said the archaeologist Houston, who recently made an official statement about opening in Guatemala city. - Tombs of the rulers are always rich in information - it will take many years to thoroughly examine the contents of burial, solve its mysteries.

An important advantage of the underground tomb, discovered in Guatemala, it is the absence of air. From there, not leave out any fumes and gases. "When I pushed my head into the hole, I, to his surprise, felt a strong smell of decay. From such a stench me shiver ran back," says Houston. Grave Luggage small width of 1 m 20 cm, length 3 m 60 cm and a height of 1 meter 80 centimeters. "I could there be freely lie down, " says archaeologist, but to stay there for a long time I certainly would not like". Was there a notable deceased founder of the dynasty?

Senior Maya was lying in my grave than one. Six children accompanied him on the way to the Kingdom of the afterlife. Archaeologists have found in the grave four small skeleton and two separate skull belonged to young children, which at the time of death was not more than five years.

The body of the Governor was on private wooden bed, and it's bed time lost strength and broke under the weight of the remains. On the skull of a noble Maya wore ceremonial headdress, richly decorated and freaked filigree performed by Maya hieroglyphs. In the hands of the dead at the burial put the blade. The status of the blade, the researchers concluded that he was very sharp and firm. Such weapons could easily cut the dice. The blade was not shining, it stuck reddish mass. Scientists haven't did a chemical analysis of the substance and not know what it is. "But we need not have a particularly violent fantasy to suggest that the weapons remained blood" - suggests Houston.

What was still a mysterious corpse? He died between 350 and 400 ad, and lived for more than fifty years for the ancient Maya is a very advanced age.

The fourth century is marked by rapid developments in El Zotz. The city was constantly at odds with neighbouring largest city Tikal, located twenty kilometers to the East. Twenty kilometers - dangerous distance, the enemy is too close. With the highest buildings in El Zotz, from the Church on the top of the pyramid El Diablo, in clear weather was clearly visible Tikal.

Pyramid in its present form was built after the death of the unknown ruler. During his life on this place there was standing the temple smaller, dedicated to the Sun God. In such a Holy place could bury only a very important person, perhaps, the Supreme ruler.

"The location of the tomb, historical period and the wealth of the burial, the construction of the pyramid on this tomb - all this indicates that this ruler was the founder of the dynasty," says archaeologist Houston.

Before a journey to another world ruler clad in the costume of a performer ritual dances, lined with small bells from sinks, within which hooked canine teeth.

The scientific community will forward to the results of a thorough study of the remains of the Governor of the children's skeletons and all content unusual burial in Mayan ruins of the ancient city.