The Mayan Ruins Of Belize by Adriana
& Paul Pettennude
With the approaching dry season, many of us
will be making our usual treks into Maya Land. For those of you
who want to venture beyond the usual, here is a list of sites in Belize
we highly recommend.
Introduction
An important part of
Belize's history is its legacy of outstanding Mayan palaces and temples.
The Mayan occupation began as early as 1500 B.C. and started to decline
in 900 A.D., although some Maya centers continued to be occupied until
the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century. Belize's population was
thought to be over 1 million people during the classic period (250 A.D.
to 900 A.D.) when Belize became the heart of the Mayan civilization. To
this day, there is still a significant Mayan population living in small
villages throughout the country.
The government of Belize,
through its Department of Archaeology, is committed to giving tourists
access to these sites.
Altun Ha (Water of the Rock)
The
ruins of Altun Ha are famous for many reasons. Here they found a
Jade Head - largest carved jade object in the whole Maya area -
representing the Sun God, Kinich Ahau. It is a national symbol of
Belize, which you can see cornered on every Belizean banknote in
circulation. Altun Ha was a major ceremonial center in the Classic
Period (250-900 A.D.) and functioned as vital trading center linking the
Caribbean shores with other Maya centers in the interior. Altun Ha is
located 31 miles north of Belize City.
Baking Pot
Baking
Pot is a small, potentially significant site on the south bank of the
Belize River near Georgeville. The ruin is currently being excavated and
evaluated. The vegetation-covered mounds of these sites can be seen from
the Western Highway.
Chan Chich
Just south of the Rio
Bravo lies the Gallon Jug parcel, some 130,000 acres of tropical forest
retained by Barry Bowen as a private reserve. Intense farming is
carried out in a small area and also, an unusual cattle project has
gotten underway using new embryo transfer technology from English
Hereford bloodlines to improve local stock. But the most curious
innovation for travelers here is Chan Chich Lodge, a hotel situated in
the lower plaza of an ancient Maya site. As a private reserve
protected from hunting, Chan Chich enjoys some of the most abundant
concentrations of tropical forest wildlife in Central
America.
Lamanai (Submerged Crocodile)
Located on the New
River Lagoon, this is one of Belize's largest sites. It displays the
more exotic features of ancient Maya art and architecture. Lamanai had
one of the longest occupational spans, dating from 1500 B.C. to the 19th
century, which includes the contact period with Spaniards.
Historical occupation is represented in the remains of two
Christian churches and a sugar mill.
La Milpa
La Milpa is
the third largest Maya site in Belize. The ceremonial center is built on
a high limestone ridge and, with more than 24 courtyards and over 85
structures, is in the topmost rank of Maya sites. The Great Plaza is one
of the largest public spaces in the Maya world. Beyond the Great Plaza
lie other plazas, pyramids and buildings, which gradually merge into the
surrounding jungle. Located in the Rio Bravo Conservation Area in
northwestern Belize.
Cuello
Cuello is located on private
land, and permission is needed to visit this ancient site, a minor
ceremonial center and settlement area about 4 miles southwest of Orange
Walk Town. Although not well developed for visitors, Cuello is one
of the most exciting recent discoveries in the Mayan world. Before the
exploration of this site in 1973 by Cambridge University, most experts
believed the Mayan civilization had its start around 1500 B.C., which
was the earliest date of any previously known settlement . Applying
state-of-the-art carbon dating techniques to ancient maize fragments and
wooden posts, it was determined that occupation by the Maya began here
around 2600 B.C., possibly even earlier. Thus, the "start
date" of the civilization was pushed back by a full
millennium.
Nohmul (Great Mound)
Nohmul is a major
ceremonial center spread among private owned sugar cane fields near the
village of San Pablo, about 7 miles north of Orange Walk Town. The site
- located on a limestone ridge and dominated by a massive acropolis atop
which a pyramid has been built- consists of two groups of buildings
incorporating ten plazas and connected by a sacbe, or raised causeway.
Nohmul was occupied first during the Pre-Classic era (350 B.C. to A.D.
250) and again during the Late Classical period (A.D. 600 to 900). At
the height, the community was the seat of government for an area
encompassing 8 square miles and including the nearby settlements now
known as San Esteban and San Luis.
Cerros
Located on a
peninsula across from Corozal Town and in the Bay of Chetumal, this site
was important as a coastal trading center during the late Pre-Classic
Period. Cerros expressed in that period , new forms of art and
architecture that proved to be crucial for the formation of classic Maya
art and architecture. Its tallest temple rises 21 meters above the plaza
floor. Short boat ride from Corozal.
Santa Rita
The
modern town of Corozal is built over the ancient Maya center of Santa
Rita. This site was important during the late Post-Classic Period and
was occupied up to the time of Spanish contact in the 1500s. The largest
building in the central core of Santa Rita has been excavated and
consolidated, and open to the public. Archaeological excavations there
have shown Santa Rita to be the ancient province of Chetumal, where a
large part of the Post-Classic civilization once thrived.
Marco
Gonzalez
The Marco Gonzalez site may be the largest ruin on
Ambergris Caye. Located about two miles south of the town of San Pedro,
it covers an area of about 355 meters by 155 meters and has at least 53
buildings with a central plaza and several small courtyard groupings.
The site's excavators believe that during the Early Classic Period, the
economy was based upon exploitation of the vast marine resources which
the Caribbean provides. The community saw continued success through the
Late Classic Period as well. However, during the Post Classic Period,
when other sites on Ambergris were being abandoned, Marco Gonzalez
underwent large scale expansion. Nearly every one of the structures were
added to or used at this time.
Pusilha
Pusilha is on the
Moho River in the Toledo District, about one mile east of the Guatemalan
border. the ruins, built on top of a hill above the river, can only be
reached by boat. The plaza contains about two dozen carved
stelae.
Blue Creek Cave
One of the most impressive
natural sites in Toledo is the Hokeb Ha Cave at Blue Creek. The huge
cavern entrance is carved from the summit of a hill where the Blue Creek
gurgles up form underground. After leaving the cave, the creek cascades
over limestone boulders, under the towering shadows of the surrounding
rain forest. Archaeologists have found inside many Late Classic ceramics
and an altar, leading them to theorize that the cave was used
specifically for ceremonial purposes.
Uxbenka (Old
Place)
Local Maya have known about Uxbenka for many years. But
the outside world first learned of the site's existence in 1984, when
reports of looting filtered back to Belmopan. On further investigation,
officials learned that indeed this was a very ancient settlement. One of
the seven carved stelae found here dates from the Early Classic Period,
the earliest archaeological date yet recorded in southern Belize, but
most of the sculpted stones are too badly eroded to read. An additional
thirteen uncarved stelae have been unearthed at Uxbenka, which also
features a couple of unexcavated pyramids and a small plaza, plus some
overgrown structural mounds. The site, which is not extensive, perches
on a ridge overlooking the foothills and valleys of the Maya Mountains.
The nearby hillsides have been faced with cut terrace stones. This art
form has not been found outside the Toledo District.
Nim Li Punit
(Big Hat)
Preliminary excavations at this ceremonial center,
indicate it was important during the late Classic Period. It may have
held a special relationship with nearby Lubaantun. Of the more than 25
stelae found at the site, at least eight are carved. One remains the
tallest carved stela in Belize. Nim Li Punit is located off the Southern
Highway about 25 miles north of Punta Gorda Town. The site is about
fifteen minutes walk from the road.
Lubaantun (Place of Fallen
Stones)
This late Classic ceremonial center is noted for its
unusual style of construction, distinctive of southern Belize. The large
pyramids and terraces are made of dressed stone blocks with no mortar
binding them together. The buildings on top of the pyramids were made of
perishable materials rather than masonry and hence do not remain.
Lubaantun is located northwest of Punta Gorda and is not accessible by
public transportation. There is a twenty-minute walk from the road to
the ruins.
Caracol ( The Snail)
Discovered in 1938 and
later explored in the 1950s,Caracol was thought to be little more than a
Maya ceremonial center. It was not until more extensive excavation
efforts began in 1985 that the importance and expanse of Caracol became
known. In 1986, a round elaborately carved altar stone was
uncovered which described a victory by Caracol over Tikal, once
considered to be the most powerful Maya metropolis. This discovery
filled an important missing piece of Maya History and positioned Caracol
as the "supreme" Maya city. The largest pyramid, the
Caanna, rises 140 feet and is the tallest man-made structure in all of
Belize. Caracol is located south of San Ignacio and is accessible by
road.
Chechen Ha Cave
Several years ago, owner Antonio
Morales stumbled on this cave while chasing some stray cattle through
the rain forest. Going inside, he found an extensive catacomb with
niches full of ancient Mayan pots. Archaeologists from Belmopan removed
a few of the most important pieces for study, but decided to leave the
rest intact.
Pacbitun (Stones Set in the Earth)
Two
miles to the east of San Antonio, on private land, are the ruins of
Pacbitun, one of the oldest Preclassical Maya sites. Local farmers knew
about Pacbitun's existence for generations, but it wasn't until 1971
that archaeologists made studies here. They found 24 pyramids, 8 stelae,
several raised irrigation causeways and a collection of Mayan musical
instruments.
Xunantunich (Maiden of the Rock)
This major
ceremonial center is located on a natural limestone ridge, providing a
panoramic view of the Cayo District. The largest pyramid, "El
Castillo", has been partially excavated and explored and bears
remarkable stucco frieze on its east side. Three carved stelae found at
the site are on display in the plaza. Xunantunich is located across the
river from the village of San Jose Succotz, near the western
border.
Cahal Pech ( Place of the Ticks)
Cahal Pech is a
medium-sized Maya center located in the Cayo District. Situated along
the west bank of the Macal River, Cahal Pech offers the visitor a
panoramic view of San Ignacio and the Belize River Valley below. The
remarkable contrast between the town and the jungle, which are in such
close proximity, makes Cahal Pech a unique place to visit.
El
Pilar
El Pilar, northwest of San Ignacio, is different in
feeling. Its enormous area, still linked by narrow paths between the
ruin, suggests a huge agricultural center and market bigger than any
that exist in the area today.