Horror discovery in ‘Midnight Terror Cave’ where remains of 118 ‘gagged’ human sacrifice victims were found

SCIENTISTS who first explored a notorious grotto nickname the “Midnight Terror Cave” were shocked to discover the skeletal remains of 118 human sacrifices. The cavern, located in central Belize, was discovered in 2006 and was believed to play host to several bloody rituals undertaken by the ancient Mayan tribe. Up to 180 skeletal remains of sacrificial victims have been found in the cave Blue fibres found on the teeth of some victims may suggest many were gagged, researchers say Scientists, who have researched what the victims consumed before their deaths, now believe they have discovered further evidence of their torture.   Researchers from California State University, Los Angeles, say strange blue fibres found on the teeth of some victims may suggest many were gagged. They found what they believed to be a string in the calcified plaque from two specimen’s teeth, known as dental calculus. They also noted that residue of six of teeth contained primarily cotton fibers, adding several were dyed bright blue. Read more on Belize FAMILY FURY Jasmine Hartin is begging for pity & will answer to God, says dead cop's sister SECRET EARTH World’s most incredible secrets from ‘Well of Hell’ to ‘Eye of the Sahara’ “After finding minimal instances of dental pathology, I became interested in determining what foodstuffs the victims were consuming,” study lead author Amy Chan told Live Science. “The discovery of blue cotton fibers in both samples was a surprise because blue is important in Maya ritual.” The Maya period ran from AD 250 to 925 and the blue shade has been found at other sites in ancient Mesoamerica – which encompasses much of modern Central America – where it was often used in other ceremonies. According to Heritage Daily, some researchers suggest that the fibres were coloured thanks to alcoholic beverage that was commonly consumed by sacrificial victims to ease their suffering. Most read in News 'DON'T APPROACH' Cops share pic of Katie Piper’s acid attacker & announce 'global' manhunt ATTACK HORROR UK's dangerous dog capital where you're 10 times more likely to be attacked TWISTED CALL Killer showed his sister body of girlfriend he stabbed to death on Facetime WORLD TO MYSELF I’m a time traveller from 2028 - I walked into an eerily deserted army base 'FACE OF PURE EVIL' All we know about Katie Piper's ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch 'KILLER' NURSE Nurse ‘injected babies with air & insulin in 'multiple bids to murder them' But many others argued the fibres were present because of gags, as the victims were paraded from town to town over a period of time. As they were in custody for a long period before execution, they add that fibres may have become incorporated in the calculus before the victims were sacrificed. “Many researchers think that calculus only reflects diet, but this study is a great example of how much more information can be learned,” Chan added. The latest research comes after skeletal remains determined that sacrificial victims were even used as gruesome incense holders. Experts believe victims likely sacrificed to the gods before tribesmen cut of their heads and used them to burn sweet-smelling chemicals. Researchers made the disturbing discovery after finding a skull in mysterious underwater caves near the massive Mayan city of Chichen Itza in 2019. They reckon the person was sacrificed deep within the caverns as they were believed to be the opening to the sacred world. The Maya were an advanced civilisation that ruled much of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize for thousands of years. Read More on The Sun NUMBER CRUNCHER Martin Lewis reveals way to calculate running cost of household appliances Dye debate My daughter’s been asking to dye her hair - I gave in but trolls slammed me They were brutally wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th Century, leaving few written records behind. As a result, we still know very little about how the group lived outside of the complex temples and cities they left behind. The Maya Empire explained Here's what you need to know... The Maya Empire was located in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala and reached its peak power and influence around the sixth century AD The earliest Maya settlements are dated to around 1800 BC Their pyramids and cities are still being discovered and a large 1,000 year old Maya pyramid was found beneath a hill in 2015 The Maya are one of the few ancient groups known to have built a great civilisation in a tropical rainforest climate The ancient Maya people used a complicated writing system involving more than 800 hieroglyphs and they used this to write books Some people believe that the Maya calendar predicted that the world would end in 2012 Chemical signatures of cacao have been discovered in Maya ceramic vessels, suggesting they used to drink a form of hot chocolate over 2600 years ago Descendants of the ancient Maya people are still around today and many of them live in their ancestral homelands where they make up the majority of the population