An underground chamber or reservoir used by Mayan civilization to store water and preserve food.
From Yucatec Maya 'chultun,' meaning 'water hole' or 'underground container.' The word entered English through Mesoamerican archaeology as scholars documented Mayan engineering. It represents sophisticated pre-Columbian water management.
Maya engineers created these underground vaults in limestone so clever they stayed cool year-round—some stored water for droughts, others preserved maize for months, making them ancient food bunkers.
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