Using advanced LiDAR technology, researchers have mapped a series of subterranean mycology chambers hidden beneath the jungle floor in Chiapas, Mexico. These chambers were specifically designed to maintain the high humidity and darkness required for the ritual cultivation of sacred mushrooms used by Maya priests during the Late Classic period.
The chambers are connected to a nearby ceremonial plaza via narrow ventilation shafts, allowing the fungi to be harvested discreetly for use in religious festivals. This discovery provides the first physical evidence of a structured mushroom-growing industry within Maya civilization, highlighting the sophistication of their biological and environmental management.