Mysterious ‘tunnel to the underworld’ found beneath Pyramid of the Moon

A hidden tunnel and chamber hidden beneath the Pyramid of the Moon in the ancient city of Teotihuacán in Mexico has been described as a ‘tunnel to the underworld’.

Teotihuacán is an ancient Mesoamerican civilisation that once housed a population of 125,000.

The find might throw light on how the inhabitants of the bustling ancient city dealt with death, researchers from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said.

The team used an imaging technique called electrical resistivity tomography and detected a 50 foot chamber located 26ft under the surface, Science Alert reported.

Scientists are not sure exactly what function the space played, but they believe it was could have been for funeral purposes.

They found a tunnel linking the space to the city’s Plaza of the Moon – and researchers say it may have been used for rituals around death.

Previous investigations in the Pyramid found skeletons alongside jewellery as if left as offerings.

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Verónica Ortega of INAH said: “These large offering (ritual) complexes are the sacred core of the city of Teotihuacán.

“All people considered it the mecca of civilisation, hence what can be found inside can help unravel the relationships this ancient metropolis had with other regions of Mesoamerica.”