Using advanced ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a joint team of Mexican and international researchers has confirmed the existence of a massive subterranean chamber system beneath the Church of San Pablo Apostol in Mitla. Known historically as the 'Lyobaa' or the 'Place of Rest,' these tunnels were once considered a portal to the Zapotec underworld.
The scans reveal a complex network of altars, burial niches, and ceremonial paths that were deliberately sealed by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century. Excavations are now being planned to verify the contents of these chambers, which are expected to contain royal offerings and genealogical records of the Zapotec elite that have remained untouched for over five centuries.