Destination content © Chicki Mallan and Joshua Berman, used from Moon Handbooks Belize, 6th edition.
Maps © Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.
ALTUN HA RUINS
Altun Ha (tel. 501/609-3540, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., US$3 per person), a Maya trading center as well as a religious ceremonial center, is believed to have accommodated about 10,000 people. Archaeologists, working in the midst of a community of Maya families that have been living here for several centuries, have dated construction to about 1,500–2,000 years ago. It wasn’t until the archaeologists came in 1964 that the old name “Rockstone Pond” was translated into the Maya words “Altun Ha.” The site covers an area of about 25 square miles, most of which is covered by trees, vines, and jungle.
A team led by Dr. David Pendergast from the Royal Ontario Museum began work in 1965 on the central part of the ancient city, where upwards of 250 structures have been found in an area of about 1,000 square yards. So far, this is the most extensively excavated of all the Maya sites in Belize. For a trading center, Altun Ha was strategically located—a few miles from Little Rocky Point on the Caribbean and a few miles from Moho Caye at the mouth of the Belize River, both believed to have been major centers for the large trading canoes that worked up and down the coasts of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Mexico’s Yucatán, and all the way to Panama.
Near Plaza B, the Reservoir, also known as Rockstone Pond, is fed by springs and rain runoff. It demonstrates the advanced knowledge of the Maya in just one of their many fields: engineering. Archaeologists say that for centuries, an insignificant little stream ran through the jungle. No doubt it had been a source of fresh water for the Maya—but maybe not enough. The Maya diverted the creek and then began a major engineering project, digging and enlarging a deep, round hole that was then plastered with limestone cement. Once the cement dried and hardened, the stream was rerouted to its original course and the newly built reservoir filled and overflowed at the east end, allowing the stream to continue on its age-old track. This made the area livable. Was all of this done before or after the temple structures were built? Is the completion of this reservoir what made the Maya elite choose to locate in this area? We may never know for sure. Today Rockstone Pond is surrounded by thick brush and the pond is alive with jungle creatures, including tarpon, small fish, and turtles and other reptiles.
The concentration of structures includes palaces and temples surrounding two main plazas. The tallest building (the Sun God Temple) is 59 feet above the plaza floor. At Altun Ha, the structure bases are oval and terraced. The small temples on top have typical small rooms built with the Maya trademark—the corbel arch.
Pendergast’s team uncovered many valuable finds, such as unusual green obsidian blades, pearls, and more than 300 jade pieces—beads, earrings, and rings. Seven funeral chambers were discovered, including the Temple of the Green Tomb, rich with human remains and traditional funerary treasures. Maya scholars believe the first man buried was someone of great importance. He was draped with jade beads, pearls, and shells. And it was next to his right hand that the most exciting find was located—a solid jade head now referred to as Kinich Ahau (“The Sun God”). Kinich Ahau is, to date, the largest jade carving found in any Maya country. The head weighs nine pounds and measures nearly six inches from base to crown. It is reportedly now housed far away, in a museum in Canada.
Altun Ha was rebuilt several times during the Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic periods. Scientists believe that the site was abandoned due to violence and the desecration of the structures.
Tour Guides
A couple of local tour guides will be waiting for you at the entrance. They charge about US$10 per group per half hour and are well worth it, especially Ann-Marie Avona. If you’re coming to Altun Ha as part of a package, consider insisting that your tour provider use a local guide. This is important to ensure that local communities receive something other than a crumbling road. To that end, you’ll most likely find tables of artisan vendors with decent crafts for sale.
Visiting the Ruins
From the Northern Highway, continue past the Burrell Boom turnoff (to the Baboon Sanctuary) and continue to about Mile 19, where the road forks; the right fork is the Old Northern Highway and leads to Altun Ha and Maskall Village. Ten and a half miles from the intersection, you’ll reach the Altun Ha entrance. The road is in horrible condition and is not getting any better with the increased traffic, mainly from long parades of buses carrying cruise ship passengers.
The ruins of Altun Ha have become one of the more popular day trips for groups and individuals venturing from Belize City, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker. There is a gift shop and toilet facilities at the entrance.
Note that Altun Ha is a popular destination for cruise ship passengers, so if you don’t want to share your experience with 40 busloads of gawking Midwesterners, be sure to check with the park before coming.
ALTUN HA RUINS
Altun Ha (tel. 501/609-3540, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., US$3 per person), a Maya trading center as well as a religious ceremonial center, is believed to have accommodated about 10,000 people. Archaeologists, working in the midst of a community of Maya families that have been living here for several centuries, have dated construction to about 1,500–2,000 years ago. It wasn’t until the archaeologists came in 1964 that the old name “Rockstone Pond” was translated into the Maya words “Altun Ha.” The site covers an area of about 25 square miles, most of which is covered by trees, vines, and jungle.
A team led by Dr. David Pendergast from the Royal Ontario Museum began work in 1965 on the central part of the ancient city, where upwards of 250 structures have been found in an area of about 1,000 square yards. So far, this is the most extensively excavated of all the Maya sites in Belize. For a trading center, Altun Ha was strategically located—a few miles from Little Rocky Point on the Caribbean and a few miles from Moho Caye at the mouth of the Belize River, both believed to have been major centers for the large trading canoes that worked up and down the coasts of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Mexico’s Yucatán, and all the way to Panama.
Near Plaza B, the Reservoir, also known as Rockstone Pond, is fed by springs and rain runoff. It demonstrates the advanced knowledge of the Maya in just one of their many fields: engineering. Archaeologists say that for centuries, an insignificant little stream ran through the jungle. No doubt it had been a source of fresh water for the Maya—but maybe not enough. The Maya diverted the creek and then began a major engineering project, digging and enlarging a deep, round hole that was then plastered with limestone cement. Once the cement dried and hardened, the stream was rerouted to its original course and the newly built reservoir filled and overflowed at the east end, allowing the stream to continue on its age-old track. This made the area livable. Was all of this done before or after the temple structures were built? Is the completion of this reservoir what made the Maya elite choose to locate in this area? We may never know for sure. Today Rockstone Pond is surrounded by thick brush and the pond is alive with jungle creatures, including tarpon, small fish, and turtles and other reptiles.
The concentration of structures includes palaces and temples surrounding two main plazas. The tallest building (the Sun God Temple) is 59 feet above the plaza floor. At Altun Ha, the structure bases are oval and terraced. The small temples on top have typical small rooms built with the Maya trademark—the corbel arch.
Pendergast’s team uncovered many valuable finds, such as unusual green obsidian blades, pearls, and more than 300 jade pieces—beads, earrings, and rings. Seven funeral chambers were discovered, including the Temple of the Green Tomb, rich with human remains and traditional funerary treasures. Maya scholars believe the first man buried was someone of great importance. He was draped with jade beads, pearls, and shells. And it was next to his right hand that the most exciting find was located—a solid jade head now referred to as Kinich Ahau (“The Sun God”). Kinich Ahau is, to date, the largest jade carving found in any Maya country. The head weighs nine pounds and measures nearly six inches from base to crown. It is reportedly now housed far away, in a museum in Canada.
Altun Ha was rebuilt several times during the Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic periods. Scientists believe that the site was abandoned due to violence and the desecration of the structures.
Tour Guides
A couple of local tour guides will be waiting for you at the entrance. They charge about US$10 per group per half hour and are well worth it, especially Ann-Marie Avona. If you’re coming to Altun Ha as part of a package, consider insisting that your tour provider use a local guide. This is important to ensure that local communities receive something other than a crumbling road. To that end, you’ll most likely find tables of artisan vendors with decent crafts for sale.
Visiting the Ruins
From the Northern Highway, continue past the Burrell Boom turnoff (to the Baboon Sanctuary) and continue to about Mile 19, where the road forks; the right fork is the Old Northern Highway and leads to Altun Ha and Maskall Village. Ten and a half miles from the intersection, you’ll reach the Altun Ha entrance. The road is in horrible condition and is not getting any better with the increased traffic, mainly from long parades of buses carrying cruise ship passengers.
The ruins of Altun Ha have become one of the more popular day trips for groups and individuals venturing from Belize City, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker. There is a gift shop and toilet facilities at the entrance.
Note that Altun Ha is a popular destination for cruise ship passengers, so if you don’t want to share your experience with 40 busloads of gawking Midwesterners, be sure to check with the park before coming.
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