XUNANTUNICH

Xunantunich, which translates as "the maiden of the rock" or "stone maiden", is an ancient Mayan ceremonial center whose remains visible today are symbolic of the Classic Period. The site began to be built in the Pre-Classic period, but it wasn't until 600 AD that Xunantunich really took off, both in terms of structures and the number of inhabitants.

It was first explored in the ^19th century by the English doctor Thomas Gann. A 1904 photo on display at Cambrige shows interest in the site at that time, but it wasn't until the 1920s that research resumed, with Thomas Gann returning to the site. He made some important discoveries, but no trace of them remained, and many of the artefacts extracted from the bowels of the temples and the earth disappeared into private collections and museums without any trace of their provenance.

The site is quite small, covering just 2.6 km², but it does include three ceremonial squares in a row, 26 temples and 6 palaces. Given its small size, a visit to the site takes half a day. The ruins can also be explored on horseback, which adds a real touch of style to the visit. In this case, you'll need to plan an excursion from San Ignacio.

El Castillo. This is the site's largest and most famous temple, adorned with frescoes and masks of disconcerting beauty. The view from the top of the temple over the entire surrounding region is equally sublime. A climb to the top is highly recommended. The temple was long considered the highest in Belize, reaching 40 m in height, but the discovery of the Caracol site has pushed it down to second place.

The farmers who fed the people of Xunantunich generally lived in small villages, divided into family residential groups. Farms were widely distributed across the landscape, although the center of Xunantunich itself was rather small by comparison. These villages were economically self-sufficient, which may explain why Xunantunich lasted as long as they did; they didn't depend on the city to support them. Settlement density was relative to soil quality, proximity to rivers and localized political histories. Farmers generally stayed away from political quarrels.

At a time when most Mayan civilizations were collapsing, Xunantunich managed to extend his city and his power over other parts of the valley. It lasted a century longer than most other sites in the region. It is known that Xunantunich replaced Buenavista as the center of the upper valley's socio-political administration, in addition to being the main venue for the elite's ancestral and funerary rites and ceremonies. One theory is that this decision was taken because of political conflicts in the lowlands due to neighbors vying for control of Buenavista, and that Xunantunich was a much more easily defensible hilltop site.
There is abundant evidence of trade and communication between other sites. First, there's the pine trade. Pine grows naturally on the Mountain Pine Ridge, accessible via the Macal River. It was imported to Xunantunich, where trade in this precious product could be more easily controlled by the elites and rulers of the time. This resource was used for ritual and construction purposes by the upper class, and was sometimes offered free of charge to members of the lower class to reinforce socio-political strategies. Similarities between pottery from different sites are a feature commonly sought by archaeologists to determine their possible interconnections. Differences in pottery quality can accentuate class differences within the same site, just as they can show class differences between different political regimes. Towards the end of the Classical period, the standardization of pottery types in the Belize Valley tends to demonstrate that pottery took on the role of currency. Pottery types became very similar among the sites found in the Belize Valley areas around Xunantunich, further evidence of their close relationship with the site.

In 2016, archaeologists discovered a 13-century-old tomb, which turned out to be the largest and most opulent found after more than a hundred years of excavations at various sites around the country. It was found between 5 and 8 metres below ground, its access guarded by tons of earth and debris. Alongside this man, aged between 20 and 30, were jaguar and deer bones, jade beads probably from a necklace, obsidian knives and 36 pieces of ceramic crockery. Other carved quartz offerings were found in specially designed niches. While most Mayan tombs are built into existing structures in an "intrusive" manner, the structure around this one was built at the same time. Panels containing numerous genealogical inscriptions were also uncovered.