The classification of the areas of Balamcanche is based on the cave’s ritual activity.
Group I. The cave’s most important group. This is a chamber with a diameter approaching 70 feet and a height of over 30 feet. Right in the center a stalactite unites with a stalagmite, forming a column joining the floor and the ceiling. This geological formation looks akin to the trunk, branches, and roots of a ceiba tree (yaaxche). This sacred tree symbolized the axis mundi for the Maya and it encapsulated the tripartite vision of the cosmos. The roots of the tree sink into the nine levels of the underworld, while the trunk occupies the terrestrial plane and the branches communicate with the 13 levels of the heavens. This is why this part of the cave has the greatest concentration of offerings, most notably including biconical incense burners (shaped from two cones) with representations of Chaac, the rain and water god, as well as limestone incense burners, miniature grinding stones and a variety of small vessels. Also two red ocher hand prints were found on the central column. To these may be added the finds in the roof of the tunnel, which leads to Group II. The marks found here suggest that initiation rights might have taken place in the cave.
Balamcanche, meaning throne or seat of the jaguar, was named after this chamber. This came about because drops of water falling from some of the stalactites have created small holes in the floor, which the Maya likened to the places the jaguars would stand inside the cave.
Group II. This is at the entrance to a chamber where there is a series of columns formed by the union of stalactites and stalagmites. In this space 19 biconical incense burners were deposited with button decorations representing Chaac or Tlaloc, together with some pottery vessels and small limestone grinding stones. The remains of ash, a limestone ax and small bone, shell and jade beads were found inside the incense burners.
Group III. This has a chamber with a pool of crystal clear water, where small fish and crayfish can be seen. It is very likely that it was considered virgin water (zuhuy ha), and hence the reason for the deposits of 15 incense burners, 232 small grinding stones, 17 plates, 25 normal sized grinding stones, a small jar and a few vessels. Notable in this group of finds is a representation of the upper part of a jaguar’s head. The association between the large quantity of small grinding stones and the water suggests that they were offered up for the fertility of the land.
Groups IV, V and VI. These groups are hard to access, which is why they are not open to the public. All three contained the same types of offerings, although in smaller numbers.
