The concept of a subterranean underworld is quite common in world religions. From the Hades of ancient Greece to the Yomi of Japanese Shinto beliefs even Christianity has its Hell the bowels of the earth are frequently depicted as the realm, be it refuge or prison, of departed souls. It’s hardly surprising, then, to learn that the ancient Maya had similar conceptions but they took this idea to an even higher (or lower) level. Archaeologists have uncovered a series of catacomb-like passages that appear to have been used explicitly as a route for the souls of the dead to make the journey into Xibalba, the mythical Mayan underworld.