| Lamanai - lah-mah-NA-I - (North central Belize) | | | | reconstruction of much of Caracol's dynastic |
| Maya for "submerged crocodile" (loose translation) | | | | sequence. Most important is Alter 21 from Group A's |
| Lamanai is located on the west bank of the New | | | | ballcourt playing alley. The center of Alter 21 contains |
| River Lagoon in Northern Belize. The Maya were the | | | | the diagnostic feature of Caracol's alters, an oversized |
| primary inhabitants of the area but there was also | | | | glyph of the day sign of Ahau (god) surrounded by 160 |
| Spanish and British occupation. This ancient Maya city | | | | other glyphs. The event depicted on Alter 21 is |
| has an amazing occupational span of over 3,000 | | | | probably the most important event to take place in the |
| years. This is one of the most unique features of the | | | | history of the city. It recounts Caracol's capture, defeat, |
| site since many Classic period city-states suffered | | | | and the sacrifice of Tikal's 21st ruler, Double Bird, in AD |
| from a decline starting around AD 850. Lamanai | | | | 562. After Caracol's defeat of Tikal the site |
| continues to thrive during this time as archaeological | | | | archaeologically has shown a dramatic increase in |
| investigation by D. Pendergast (1981) indicates. He | | | | population and construction. |
| shows that there is enough presence at Lamanai at | | | | Xunantunich - shoo-nahn-too-NEECH (South Central |
| this time to warrant fairly large-scale buildings to be | | | | Belize) |
| both improved and newly constructed. | | | | Yucatec Maya for "maiden of the rock" or "stone |
| The population estimate for the site at its peak is | | | | lady" (loose translation) |
| approximately 50,000 Maya residents both in the main | | | | Xunantunich is a relatively small site located in southern |
| site center as well as the periphery. The site was | | | | Belize near the Belize River, just east of the |
| mapped during the original excavations and | | | | Guatemala border. The main ceremonial center is |
| approximately 720 structures were located, more then | | | | impressive and occupies more than 22 acres. Beyond |
| likely there are closer to 900 structures. The dynastic | | | | that residential structures radiate for several miles into |
| history of Lamanai has been a bit difficult to discern | | | | the surrounding area. Most of the exposed |
| due to the existence of only one stela. Stela 9 is | | | | architecture dates to Late Classic although both Early |
| located in the main ceremonial center of Lamanai and | | | | Classic and Late Preclassic ceramics have been |
| depicts a young ruler who was originally identified as | | | | recovered from the site. There may be evidence |
| Lord Smoking Shell (Closs 1988). Current decipherment | | | | attesting to a disruption around AD 900 at which time |
| by Simon Martin may indicate a somewhat different | | | | Xunantunich was possibly abandoned. The site |
| story. The date panels found on the stela have been | | | | appears to have been reoccupied during the |
| partially translated and indicate that the young lord | | | | Postclassic period. The site is dominated by Structure |
| began ruling at Lamanai around AD 608. It is believed | | | | A-6, a large building complex that extends to 40m in |
| he may have taken over rulership of the area from his | | | | height and contains an elaborate stucco and stone |
| father or may have been under the rulership of | | | | mosaic facade. Thus far only one dated stela has |
| another lord from a different site. | | | | been recovered from the site and it contains a date of |
| Aside from the unusual feature of over 3,000 years of | | | | Terminal Classic (AD 849). |
| occupation the site has a unique pattern of | | | | Tikal - tee-KAHL - (northern Peten region of |
| arrangement of buildings. The structures were built | | | | Guatemala) |
| along the banks of the New River Lagoon from north | | | | A traditional name of unknown meaning, according to |
| to south through time in what D. Pendergast refers to | | | | William R. Coe |
| as a strip settlement pattern (Pendergast 1981). The | | | | "Place where Spirit Voices are Heard" according to |
| site also has beautiful trails that wind through broad | | | | Teobert Maler |
| leaf forest with wonderful views of the lagoon and | | | | Tikal is often referred to as the mother of all Maya |
| wildlife consisting of birds and howler monkeys. | | | | sites because it is the largest known Maya center. It |
| Caracol - kah-rah-KOHL (South Central Belize) | | | | was virtually abandoned and was not officially found |
| Spanish for "snail" | | | | and reported again until 1848 when the Guatemalan |
| Caracol is the largest site in Belize - the amount of | | | | government recorded it. According to William Coe the |
| structures and estimated population - and one of the | | | | site center has more then 3,000 separate |
| largest ancient Maya cities of all. The site is located on | | | | constructions including temples - five of them more |
| the Vaca plateau at 500 meters a.s.l. adjacent to the | | | | than 125 feet tall - palaces, and shrines. Over 200 |
| Maya mountains, in south-central Belize. The Maya | | | | stone monuments consisting of stelea and alters, both |
| residing at Caracol reached their cultural peak around | | | | carved and plain, were found in the site center. As |
| AD 700 during the Classic period. At this time it is | | | | many as 10,000 earlier constructions may lie beneath |
| estimated that as many as 150,000 people lived in the | | | | the already identified buildings. The earliest building at |
| area. The main site center is estimated to have around | | | | Tikal dates to about 300 BC although occupation has |
| 677 structures with 128 plaza groups. The surrounding | | | | been found to occur even earlier. |
| area with the main site center may contain as many | | | | Thus far it is believed that Tikal was ruled by a single |
| as 36,000 structures. This construction includes some | | | | dynasty throughout its history. According to L. Schele |
| of the most unique features of the site, 7 sacbeob or | | | | and D. Freidel there were 39 successive rulers of Tikal. |
| causeways that radiate out from the site center, 2 | | | | The site reached its peak in the Late Classic period |
| which terminate at the elite residential area, 2 others | | | | when there may have been up to 100,000 or more |
| end at plaza complexes, and the longest one extends | | | | Maya residing in or near the site center. Numerous |
| to the subordinate site of Calha Pichik. The 7 sacbeob | | | | polities record the site of Tikal in their monuments and |
| (walkways) together make up over 22 miles. | | | | vice versa including Caracol, Uaxactun, Naranjo, and |
| There are over 40 stone monuments enabling | | | | Calakmul. |