Local geologist to co-host History Channel documentary on sacred Mayan cave By Katie Smoker Article Launched: 06/16/2007 09:42:55 PM MDT
CARLSBAD — A Carlsbad geologist will soon play a major role in a History Channel documentary about, what else, a mysterious cave. Paul Burger, Carlsbad Caverns National Park geologist, is one of three experts hosting a History Channel show, "Journey to the Center of the World: Sacred Cave of the Maya." The show will feature a team exploring Naj Tunich, one of the most sacred caves in the Mayan world. It will air at 8 p.m. Monday, June 25, on the History Channel. "I helped document the cave and push beyond the known limits of this remote cave," Burger said. According to Burger, caves are closely tied to the Mayan religious belief. "The further in (the cave), the closer you are to the gods. And the harder it is to get there, the more sacred it is," Burger said of the Mayan's beliefs. The three experts, Hazel Barton, of Kentucky, John Climaco, of Utah, and Burger, explored areas of the cave that were previously inaccessible to modern explorers. Other crews had tried to reach the bottom of a deep and treacherous unexplored pit that was a very important ceremonial site for the Maya, Burger said, but they had problems with their ropes being too short or encountering too much carbon dioxide. "There was evidence that the Mayans had gone further down the pit," Burger said. Besides looking for proof that the Mayans had reached the previously unexplored areas, the crew looked for more cave entrances. "It's easier to find cave entrances from inside the cave than to stumble upon them out in the jungle," Burger explained. Beyond exploring the unknown crevices of the cave, Burger said the show will discuss the cave's history and its significance in Mayan history, as well as the modern history of the cave since its rediscovery in 1980. Naj Tunich pronounced nah too-neech is the Mopan Maya term for cave and literally means "stone house," because caves were conceived of as places where the gods lived. According to the Web site of one of the earliest explorers, James Brady, it was rediscovered in 1980 by a Kekchi Maya Indian, Bernabe Pop, while he was hunting. Naj Tunich lies in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, which rise in the southeastern corner of the department of El Peten, Guatemala. "We met in Guatemala City before going up to the Peten region. It was a full day's drive to where we base camped. Then it was another two or three hours to where we actually started hiking," Burger said. According to Burger, the filming took place over the course of about 10 days in August of last year. The show was originally set to be the pilot for a series on the History Channel, but that series has since been cancelled and the show will air on its own. "(The History Channel) was enquiring of people in the caving community, trying to find people with interest (in the cave) and with expertise," Burger said. Burger is a hydrology expert as well as "a long-time cave explorer and a cave geology expert." "They wanted a broad group of people with a range of interests," Burger said. After being selected for the film, Burger still had to go through an audition process that included screen tests, both individually and with the other hosts of the program. Burger attributes this to the fact that sometimes a host will be great on their own, but will butt heads with the other cast members. "The group we had worked great together," Burger said. Catch Carlsbad resident Paul Burger hosting a documentary at 8 p.m. Monday, June 25, on the History Channel. (Note: This show also includes Allan Cobb of Austin, Texas, who was one of the explorers on the expedition - GLA) _http://www.currentargus.com/ci_6160599_ (http://www.currentargus.com/ci_6160599) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
