Midnight Terror Cave

{{Short description|Cave in central Belize}}

Midnight Terror Cave is a cave in central Belize that was discovered in 2006 near Springfield. The site was worked on by California State University, Los Angeles' field school as part of the Western Belize Regional Cave Project under Dr. Jaime Awe.{{cite web|url=http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/anthro/midnight-terror-cave|title=Midnight Terror Cave|work=California State University, Los Angeles|date=7 May 2015}} The cave contained around 9000 human bones,{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/30/why-this-mysterious-mayan-cave-full-of-childrens-bones-may-be-evidence-of-ancient-human-trafficking/ | title=Why this mysterious Mayan cave full of children's bones may be evidence of ancient human trafficking | newspaper=Washington Post | date=30 March 2015 | access-date=26 April 2016}} from at least 118 individuals, and is one of the largest sacrificial assemblages ever discovered in the Maya Lowlands.

The site is thought to have been a site of human sacrifice to the Maya rain god Chaak.{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencealert.com/the-midnight-terror-cave-of-belize-was-a-child-sacrifice-site-experts-confirm|title=The 'Midnight Terror Cave' of Belize was a child sacrifice site, experts report}} An analysis of 100 teeth found at the site showed around a quarter to be less worn down than others, suggesting that they came from the mouths of children. The enamel of the teeth showed that these children had travelled to the site from more than 200 miles away.

Peer-reviewed articles have discussed preliminary findings from the site{{cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/2048913|title=Determining Status of Ancient Maya from Looted and Sacrificial Contexts|last1=Kieffer|first1=C. L.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/3620224|title=Preliminary Observations on the Investigation of Midnight Terror Cave|last1=Kieffer|first1=C. L.}} as well as pathological findings.{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/12033967|title= Sacrifice of the Social Outcasts: Two Cases of Klippel-Feil Syndrome at Midnight Terror Cave, Belize|last1=Kieffer|first1=C. L.|journal= International Journal of Osteoarchaeology|year= 2017|volume= 27|pages= 45–55|doi=10.1002/oa.2456}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/15369818|title=A Correction and Comment on Sacrifice of the Social Outcasts|journal=International Journal of Osteoarchaeology |volume=26 |issue=6 |pages=1101-1102 (2016)|last1=Prout|first1=Michael G.|year=2016|doi=10.1002/oa.2487}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/15087591|title=A rebuttal to Comments on Sacrifice of the Social Outsider|journal=International Journal of Osteoarchaeology|volume=26|issue=6|pages= 1099–1100|last1=Kieffer|first1=C. L.|year=2016|doi=10.1002/oa.2486}}

Other Maya archaeological sites in the vicinity are Cahal Pech, Chaa Creek, El Pilar, Xunantunich, and Actun Tunichil Muknal.