The Ancient Pyramids Of Belize: Unraveling The Mystery In The City Of Caracol

Belize is home to a plethora of ancient Maya ruins, including pyramids, temples, palaces, and reservoirs. One of the most notable sites is Caracol, located in western Belize near the border with Guatemala. This ancient city was once home to a large Maya kingdom and is considered one of the most important Maya ruins in the country. Another notable site is Xunantunich, a Maya civic ceremonial centre located in the Cayo District of western Belize. This site features the second-tallest structure in Belize, known as El Castillo, as well as six plazas, over 25 temples and palaces, and a museum. Other popular Maya ruin sites in Belize include Cahal Pech, Lamanai, Altun Ha, and Cerros, each offering unique insights into the ancient Maya civilisation.

Caracol, the largest ruin in Belize

Caracol is the largest ruin in Belize, located in the western Cayo District of the country. It is situated in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, and is one of the most challenging ruins to reach. The site is approximately 25 miles south of San Ignacio and can be accessed via a scenic drive from the town. The last 10 miles of the one-way road to Caracol is paved, and it is recommended to have a 4x4 vehicle for the journey.

Caracol was once one of the most powerful cities in the Maya world, covering an area of 55 square miles, including its outlying regions. The central core area is about 1 square mile, with a radius expanding out 6 miles. The site is strategically situated on the trade routes between the Maya Southern Lowlands and the Caribbean. It is believed that Caracol supported a population of over 120,000 people, with some estimates placing the number as high as 180,000.

The ancient city was first reported by a native logger named Rosa Mai in 1937, who stumbled upon its remains while searching for mahogany trees. The site was named "Caracol" (Spanish for "snail" or "shell") in 1938 by the archaeological commissioner, A.H. Anderson, due to the winding access road that led to it. Caracol is also known by its original Maya name, Oxhuitza or Uxwitza, meaning "Place of Three Hills".

The largest building at Caracol is the Caana or Canaa ("Sky Place" or "Sky Palace"), which is the tallest man-made structure in Belize at 140-141 feet tall. It is an impressive pyramidal complex with four palaces and three temples, and it houses a courtyard with three temples arranged in a standard triadic fashion. Other notable structures at Caracol include five plazas, three large ball courts, 24-25 religious altars, 35,000 smaller buildings, and over 100 tombs.

Caracol has revealed much about the history of the Maya civilisation, with over 56 stelae, altars, and ballcourt markers recovered, many containing readable glyphic information. The site was occupied as early as 1200 BC and was one of the most important regional political centres of the Maya Lowlands during the Classic Period. The city's rulers and their associations with other sites, such as Tikal and Calakmul, have been documented through the glyphs found at Caracol.

The history of Caracol is marked by shifting alliances and warfare with neighbouring city-states. It was initially a vassal of Tikal but later joined forces with Calakmul, Tikal's bitter rival. Caracol's most famous military victory was against Tikal in 562 AD, which resulted in a 120-year hiatus for Tikal. This event is recorded on Altar 21, found within Caracol.

Caracol's power began to wane towards the end of the 7th century, with the re-emergence of Tikal, defeat by Naranjo, and competition from the rising kingdom of Dos Pilas. The city was eventually abandoned around 1050 AD, with the last recorded monument, Stela 10, dated to 859 AD.

Xunantunich, a Classic Period ceremonial centre

Xunantunich is an Ancient Maya archaeological site in western Belize, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Belize City, in the Cayo District. It is located on a high ridge overlooking the Mopan River, within sight of the Guatemala border, which is 0.6 miles (1 km) to the west.

Xunantunich served as a Maya civic ceremonial centre to the Belize Valley region in the Late and Terminal Classic periods. The name means "Maiden of the Rock" or "Stone Woman" in the Maya language (a combination of the Mopan and Yucatec names, "Xunaan" meaning noble lady, and "Tuunich" meaning stone for sculpture). The name refers to a 200-year-old local legend of a Mayan maiden ghost with fire-red eyes, who is said to haunt the site, dressed in white.

Xunantunich is believed to have been established between 600 and 300 BC, but the city we see today was constructed from around 650-700 AD. The site was deserted by about 1000 AD. The core area consists of three ceremonial plazas surrounded by palaces, pyramids, and residential mounds. The jewel in the crown is El Castillo, which, at 130 feet tall, was once the tallest man-made structure in Belize. It is covered in magnificent stucco friezes depicting astronomical symbols and three carved stelae.

Xunantunich was first explored by Thomas Gann in the 1890s. He was a British medical professional who had moved to the area due to his interest in Mayan archaeology. Since then, various archaeological groups have conducted research and excavations at the site, including the Xunantunich Archaeological Project and the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project.

Excavations have revealed around six plazas and 32 other structures across Xunantunich. The site is composed of four main groups arranged around several plazas, containing over two dozen pyramids, temples, palaces, and other structures, aligned on a north/south axis. Group A is the most important and is the ceremonial and civic heart of the city. Structure A6, known as El Castillo, is a large pyramidal structure that reaches a height of 130 feet, the tallest at the site.

Xunantunich is one of the finest Mayan ruins in Belize and is a popular tourist attraction, especially for those staying in the nearby town of San Ignacio. It is easily accessible by hand-cranked ferry from San Jose Succotz.

Altun Ha, the closest ruin to Belize City

The site covers an area of about 8 square kilometres and is composed of 44 acres of archaeological history. Altun Ha was occupied for many centuries, from about 900 B.C. to A.D. 1000, with the earliest structures dating to around 900-800 B.C. The site is from the Classic Period (200-900 A.D.) and was a major ceremonial and trade centre during this time.

The site features two principal plazas and 13 structures, including the Temple of Masonry Altars, which is the largest of Altun Ha's temple-pyramids at 16 metres (52 ft) high. The most significant find at Altun Ha is the Maya Jade Head, which is the largest Mayan jade artifact ever found. It represents the Mayan Sun God, Kinich Ahua, and is one of the crown jewels of Belize.

Altun Ha is so beloved by Belizeans that it features on the face of the national currency and on the bottles of the country's leading beer, Belikin.

Cahal Pech, the oldest-known ruins in the Belize River Valley

Cahal Pech is a Maya site located near the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize. The site is situated high above the banks of the Macal River, overlooking the confluence of the Macal and Mopan Rivers. It is one of the oldest recognisably Maya sites in Western Belize, with evidence of continuous habitation dating back to around 1200 BCE during the Early Middle Formative period.

Cahal Pech served as a palatial, hilltop home for an elite Maya family during the Classic period. The site consists of 34 structures, including temples, residential buildings, ball courts, an altar, and a sweat house, all connected by a series of interconnected plazas. The tallest temple stands at approximately 25 meters in height.

The name Cahal Pech, meaning "Place of the Ticks" in the Yucatec Maya language, was given when the area was used as pastureland during the first archaeological studies in the 1950s. Today, Cahal Pech is an archaeological reserve, featuring a small museum that displays artefacts from various ongoing excavations. The site offers panoramic views of San Ignacio and the Belize River Valley, providing a glimpse into the complex residential architecture of the ancient Mayans.

The primary excavation of Cahal Pech began in 1988 and was completed in 2000 under the leadership of Dr Jaime Awe, Director of the National Institute of Archaeology (NICH) in Belize. Cahal Pech has provided valuable insights into the lives of Mayans in the Belize River Valley region during the Preclassic period.

Lamanai, the longest continually-occupied site in Mesoamerica

Lamanai, located on the New River in the Orange Walk District of Belize, is the longest continually-occupied site in Mesoamerica. The name Lamanai is derived from the Yucatec Maya term 'Lama'anayin', which means 'submerged crocodile'—a nod to the thriving crocodile population in the nearby New River lagoon.

Lamanai was once a major city of the Maya civilisation, with a population exceeding 35,000 at its peak. The site was occupied for over 3,000 years, from as early as the 16th century BC to the 17th or 18th century AD, spanning the Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic Maya periods, as well as the Spanish and British Colonial periods. This exceptionally long occupation is evidenced by the presence of structures dating from different periods, such as the Jaguar Temple, the Mask Temple, and the High Temple.

The Jaguar Temple, or Jaguar Mask Temple, was originally built in the 6th century and underwent modifications in the 13th century and around the year 1400. It is named for its boxy jaguar decoration and features a jaguar mask with a protruding nose on its north side. The Mask Temple, constructed in the Early Classic and Late Classic Periods (final phase c. 550–650 AD), is adorned with two impressive stone masks, one of which represents a human head with a crocodile headdress. The High Temple, or "El Castillo", is the largest Pre-Classic structure in Belize, standing at 33 metres (108 feet) tall. It was first built in 100 AD and modified in the 7th century.

In addition to these central structures, Lamanai boasts over 700 buildings, including two 16th-century Christian churches and an intact 19th-century sugar mill. The site also includes a ball court, similar to those found at other Mesoamerican sites, where a ceremonial vessel containing liquid mercury was discovered. The presence of mercury, believed to have originated in Honduras, is significant as it was the first reported discovery of its kind in the Maya lowlands.

Lamanai's longevity and layers of occupation provide a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of Maya construction techniques and cultural practices. The site is accessible to visitors by boat or road, with the river route offering the chance to spot exotic birds, crocodiles, and other wildlife.

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