The site of Cahal Pech (which translates to Place of the Ticks) is a medium-sized Maya Civilization town located on the top of a hill in the Cayo District of western Belize. The site was occupied pretty much continuously between 900 B.C. and A.D. 800, from the Early Formative to Late Classic periods.
Ruins left of the acropolis area of the regional center include 34 Classic period structures around seven plazas, six plain stelae, one uncarved altar, two ballcourts, and quite possibly a sweathouse.
Recent excavations at Cahal Pech were conducted as part of Archaeology magazine's Online Digs, under the project called Maya Caves of West-Central Belize, led by Jaime Awe.
Sources
Aimers, James J., Terry G. Powis, and Jaime J. Awe 2000 Preclassic Round Structures of the Upper Belize River Valley. Latin American Antiquity 11(1):71-86.
This glossary entry is part of the Guide to the Maya Civilization and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
