the buzz log

We thought discovering long, lost civilizations was something that only happened in "Indiana Jones" movies. How wrong we were. Researchers have discovered a maze of stone temples that "ancient Mayans believed was a portal where dead souls entered the underworld." Found in present day Mexico, the portal was known as Xibalba.

The discovery got the bloggers doing what they do best. BoingBoing explains that, according to an ancient Mayan scripture, Xibalba's entrance was once protected by blood-filled rivers, scorpions, and "houses swarming with shrieking bats." Oh, and pus. Lots and lots of pus.

National Geographic points out that some experts wonder if the gruesome stories were a myth knowingly created by the Mayans, who then built the caves to back up the tales. Reuters sums up more of the legends surrounding the temples. Our favorite: The departed would follow a mythical dog that could see at night. This dog would lead them to Xibalba.

So, how did researchers finally track down Xibalba without the help of the dog? Apparently, it took a lot of patience and some serious scuba gear. Some of the caves were underwater and many contain the bones of the dead. Darn it, Indy, how in the world could you have missed out on this?