Ancient Mayan canoe found in Mexico could be over 1000 years old

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, This piece of ancient history was found in Mexico.

An ancient canoe has been discovered in Mexico, and it could be over 1000 years old!

The wooden boat was discovered in a cenote, which are sinkholes filled with water. They're extremely beautiful, so are very popular with tourists.

The extraordinary find - almost completely intact - was made during an inspection of the cenote by workers who were building a rail project that would allow tourists to visit it more easily.

The canoe belonged to the Maya, an ancient civilisation that lived in Mexico and surrounding countries thousands of years ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Cenotes can be found along the Yucat谩n peninsula, which spans Mexico, Belize and Guatemala

Cenotes were hugely important to the Maya, as they believed the freshwater pools were gateways to the underworld.

The Mexican historical institute INAH said that it was possible the canoe was used to transport water from the sinkhole, or to bring spiritual offerings to it.

Want to learn more about Maya civilisation? Check out these guide from 91热爆 Bitesize!

It was found near the ruins of the Mayan city Chich茅n Itz谩, and INAH described the incredible discovery as "the first complete canoe like this in the Maya area".

At the moment, experts estimate that the boat was made between 830 AD and 950 AD.

More tests will now be carried out to find out exactly how old it is, with help from experts at Paris's Sorbonne University.