Josh Gates Made A TERRIFYING Discovery Beneath El Mirador! | Expedition Unknown

The symbol of a serpent is one of the
earliest symbols we have of the Snake Kingdom.

Wow! From discovering the bones of the
Snake Kings to finding proof that the
snake god possibly exists, Dr. Richard
Hansen and Josh Gates reveal some of the
most shocking discoveries made in El
Mirador, in the heart of the dense jungle.

Dr. Richard Hansen, an archaeologist, began
an exploration of the ancient ruins of
Elidor alongside a companion. Their
destination was the Grand Acropolis,
the former residence of the most influential
families in the massive pre-classic Maya city.

The plaza, decorated with plaster,
served as a sophisticated water
collection and channeling system for the
city’s inhabitants. As they went deeper,
they encountered 226 ft panels decorated
with pristine Maya sculptures.

And what’s exciting for us is
it has the entire cosmology of the Maya
depicting the entire cosmology of
the Maya people. The site revealed gods
like Chak, the Feathered Serpent Quetzalcoatl,
and the great creator god Itzamna.

Surprisingly, the carved plaster unveiled
the complete Mayan deity system,
challenging the belief that such
mythology originated during the classic
period or was influenced by Spanish priests later on.

Breathtakingly, at the base of the freeze,
an unexpected revelation awaited them.
With great interest, Dr. Hansen pointed out
a significant find: the eye of a serpent
with an open mouth, fang, and venom droplet.

This symbol, they believed, held immense
importance as one of the earliest
representations of the Snake Kingdom.
Astonishment filled the air as they realized
the longevity of this serpent symbol,
carrying on a thousand years into the future.

We see this snake symbol a thousand years later,
hearkening back to the Snake Kingdom.
With conviction, Dr. Hansen declared
that they had discovered the capital of
the Snake Kingdom in the pre-classic period,
challenging previous ideas about the
timeline and origin of Mayan symbolism.

The jungle expedition had unearthed a
stunning revelation that would reshape
the understanding of Maya history,
revealing the complex connections
between their ancient beliefs and the
powerful Snake Kings who once ruled over Elidor.

How do they even prove this wild theory?
Well, finding the tombs of the Snake Kings
would be a solid start, and Dr. Richard Hansen
has a hunch about where to look.

As they explore deeper into the archaeological site,
they come upon a potential breakthrough
in their quest for the Snake King’s tombs.
Dr. Hansen introduces a building under
current excavation, where a senior member
of his team, Ricky, is knee-deep in the dig.

Ricky, with a friendly greeting, welcomes
the curious companion and begins to unravel
the mystery of the building. It turns out
this structure is one of the later additions
to the site, and beneath its stucco floor
lies a hidden secret.

Ricky explains that beneath the newer floor,
they discovered an older one.
“We found a stocker floor, and underneath
the Maya dog pit, they had this older floor.
They chopped down into it and put something in there.
Someone had intentionally dug a pit and
placed something within it.”

Why? Well, that’s the million-dollar question,
and they are determined to find out.

Eager to unveil the mystery,
the team prepares to explore the pit.
After a cautious descent with a ladder,
they enter a cramped space where Enrique
and his crew have already excavated
most of the room, leaving just enough room
for Dr. Hansen and his companion to squeeze in.

With a hint of humor and a touch of concern
for his safety, the companion jokingly asks
Dr. Hansen to explain the findings before
the place collapses.

Dr. Hansen points out the layered floors
and a rock leading into a substantial pit.
The burning question remains:
What lies beneath this older floor?
A potential garbage pit, maybe?

The team is on the brink of unearthing
secrets that could rewrite the history
of the Snake Kingdom and the ancient city of Elidor.

Moving deeper into the excavation,
the team faces a tempting mystery.
Beneath the layers of floors lies a pit
whose contents remain cloaked in uncertainty.
It could be a latrine,
an everyday space for waste,
or perhaps a burial site holding
the untold riches of an ancient ruler.

The companion inquires about the extreme possibilities—
either unimaginable wealth or a profound burial.
Dr. Hansen acknowledges the unpredictability
that lies in their field.

The decision is made to widen and elevate
the pit for better access and safety.
The team, aware of the risks, forms
a bucket brigade to carefully remove
dirt and debris, gradually expanding
the dimensions of the chamber.

Over the course of four intense hours
under the burning sun, they work.
“Okay, so how do we proceed here?”
“All right, we’re going to take the
excavation a little wider to reveal
the full dimensions of the pit.
We’re going to take it a little higher
so it’s easier to move around in here,
have a little more protection.”

Got it. With the floor finally cleared,
the team stands on the edge of discovery.
The pit’s full size is revealed,
capped with ancient stones.

The next crucial step is to delicately remove
these stones, unveiling the potential treasure
or burial below. The team proceeds cautiously,
fully aware that a misstep could destroy
the historical find beneath.

As the first stone is lifted,
the team’s excitement surges.
There is indeed a hidden chamber beneath the floor.
The process continues with the careful removal
of subsequent stones, resembling
a high-stakes game of Jenga in the cramped space.

The air is thick with anticipation
as each block is carefully lifted,
exposing the secrets concealed for centuries.
The excavation becomes a race against
time and precision, a captivating chapter
in the ongoing quest to unravel
the mysteries of Elidor and the
mysterious Snake Kings.

As the team carefully lifts the last block,
an unexpected twist unfolds.
The stone cracks into two sections.
It’s a remarkable occurrence,
never before witnessed by anyone.
The very stone that had been placed
in the chamber thousands of years ago
is now breaking apart, revealing the contents within.

The chamber is finally open, offering a peek
into the past. With nervousness, they peer
into the chamber, discovering bones,
which is a clear indication of a burial.
“Josh, there’s bone in there!
We’re looking at a burial!”

The surprise is quite evident as
they observe an upside-down pot nearby.
The realization sets in:
this is a burial, and the question lingers—
could this be a royal burial of one
of the elusive Snake Kings?

Deep within the remote Guatemalan jungle,
where massive temples rise above the trees,
Elidor emerges as one of the oldest
known Mayan cities. Surrounded in mystery
until recent times, its secrets
now revealed hold the potential to reshape
our understanding of Mayan civilization.

The city’s history unfolds with architectural marvels,
brilliant geoengineering, tales of blood,
and the mysterious Snake Kings,
a royal dynasty depicted in stone carvings
across Mesoamerica, yet never found in the flesh.

On a journey into the heart of the jungle,
Elidor stands as the lost city,
aptly named for its isolation.
The surrounding forests and swamps shielded
it from the world, accessible only by helicopter
or a challenging seven-day trek
through the dense Guatemalan jungle.

Abandoned and overgrown for nearly two millennia,
the lost city now attracts explorers
and historians to unravel its secrets,
offering a mind-blowing saga of ancient
civilization and the enigmatic Snake Kings
buried within its depths.

In 1885, people rediscovered a place
called El Mirador, but it wasn’t until 1978
that archaeologists really started looking into it.
What they found there completely changed
what we knew about the Maya civilization.

Elidor is super old, even older
than other big Maya cities.
It thrived between 600 BC and 100 AD,
which is more than a thousand years before
places like Tikal and Copan were built.

The Civic Center in El Mirador is huge,
over 10 square miles. There are thousands
of structures and temples, some reaching
as high as 200 ft. This surprised
archaeologists because a city this big
and this old wasn’t supposed to exist.

They thought Maya cities started small
and got big during a specific time,
but Elidor messed up that idea.

Archaeologists believe the Maya civilization
went from hunting and gathering to small villages,
then big cities, and finally collapsed.
Well, it turns out there were two collapses,
but we’ll talk about that later.

The most mind-boggling thing about Elidor
is that it’s home to the biggest temple
ever built in the ancient world.
This is amazing, and it’s transforming
our understanding of one of history’s
most mysterious civilizations.

La Danta is like a giant in the forest,
standing 236 ft tall.
It’s not as tall