Cenote Xlakah in the Mayan ruins of Dzibilchaltun on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

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Cenote Xlakah in the Mayan ruins of Dzibilchaltun on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, June 29, 2009. Cenotes are a geologic formation that characterizes the Yucatan Peninsula. This word is derived from the Mayan word, 'Dzonot' which means; sacred well. More specifically, the word cenote refers to a large natural sink hole whose limestone covering has caved in years ago to reveal the running stream below. While some of these structures are simply vertical shafts filled with water, others are composed of underwater passageways.

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Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: Dzibilchaltun, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, North America
Photo credit: © Anne Lewis / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: america, archaeological, building, cenote, civilization, color, dzibilchaltun, horizontal, image, mayan, mesoamerican, mexico, north, outdoors, peninsula, pre-hispanic, ruins, tourism, travel, xlakah, yucatan