Belize Culture History and Archaeology

The Bats'ub cave is a karst rockshelter located within the Columbian Forest Reserve of Belize.

Photographs and some information about a few of the more well known archaeology ruins of the beautiful country of Belize, from a handful of Flickr-ites.

Small but important Maya center on the northern Belizean coastline, Altun Ha was occupied continuously between 800 BC and AD 900, with a later occupation in the late postclassic of 15th-16th century AD. A travelogue of the ruins from Belize Tourism.

An island and (now) resort town, Ambergris Caye has evidence of Maya occupations between the Late Classic period of about 300 BC, through the Terminal Post Classic period of about 1000 AD. A history of the island, written by archaeologist Herman Smith, on the largely tourist-oriented Ambergris Caye website.

Marilyn Masson and Robert M. Rosenswig at Albany University in New York have led several expeditions to Belize; some of their reports can be found online at the project website.

A collection of photographs of a Belize vacation, shot by contributors to Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways.

From Susan Breslow Sardone, About's guide to Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways, a description of why Belize belongs on her site.

Middle Preclassic site, a report to FAMSI by M. Kathryn Brown on her research into the public architecture. On the FAMSI site.

From Anabel Ford at the University of California, Santa Barbara, excavations at a Maya site called El Pilar, located on the border between Guatemala and Belize. After several years excavation the UCSB has created a heck of a good website on the ruins.

Ongoing excavations by the Maya Research Program continue to excavate the Maya occupations of the site (200 BC-AD 600) and other sites in the vicinity of Blue Creek. Not much on the archaeology here, but a lot on the history of the MRP.

The site of Cahal Pech is an early Middle Formative to Classic period Maya site in Belize, occupied pretty much continuously between 900 B.C. to A.D. 800.

A report to Archaeology magazine by excavator Jaime Awe, part of the Interactive Dig series. The so-called "Place of the Ticks" is a Maya ceremonial center with pyramid temples, palaces, and a ball court.

A very nice website of this Maya town of about 115,000 from excavators Diane and Arlen Chase, with tours, maps, and background.

The archaeological site of Colha is a Maya occupation located in Belize about 60 kilometers north of Belize City.

The Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., supports archaeological and epigraphic work throughout Mesoamerica. Put the word 'Belize' in their search engine and stand back for over 2000 records referring to the archaeology of the country.

Maps, physical geography and political notes about the modern country of Belize, from About's Guide to Geography, Matt Rosenberg.

A nicely presented report for the public on six archaeological seasons at K'axob by Patricia A. McAnany at Boston University.

Norman Hammond and Gair Tourtellot at Boston University have conducted several seasons at La Milpa; their website includes nice things like three-dimensional maps and other information.

From the graphically very interesting Maya Ruins website, maps, photographs and discussion of this site.

The Middle American Research Institute, located at Tulane University in New Orleans, conducts, supports, and publishes research in the anthropology, and especially the archaeology of Mexico and Central America.

Minanha was the name of a Maya petty kingdom, located on the north Vaca Plateau of west-central Belize.

A major Maya center on the north Vaca Plateau, containing at least 90 separate buildings and occupied from the Terminal PreClassic through the Early Postclassic period (ca 100-1200 A.D.); excavations by the University of Trent.

Information about the ruins at Xunantunich and conservation efforts to preserve and maintain them, by the Getty Museum.