The ancient city of Altun Há was once one of the most important Mayan cities in Northern Belize. Today it’s among the most visited attractions in this tiny Central American country, especially by cruisegoers arriving at Belize city’s nearby port.
The Maya are renowned for many achievements, but arguably their most enduring legacy is the remains of their architectural feats. Most folks associate Maya architecture with temples and pyramids, but ballcourts, astronomical observatories and elite residential palaces are often just as impressive. When we throw around the term Maya architecture, we should be talking about…
The Yucatán Peninsula is home to hundreds of ancient pyramids, a testament to the ingenuity of the illustrious Mayan civilization. While these pyramids are impressive today, in their time, they would have appeared even more spectacular—covered in stucco and paint, often filled with interior chambers and topped with elaborate crest work. Maya pyramids are usually…
Xlapak has long been considered the “lesser” of all the Maya Puuc sites open to the public. Much of this has to do with the fact that for a long time, only a single restored structure was accessible to visitors. But thanks to recent improvements to the site’s infrastructure, new trails have been carved through…
Monte Alban was easily among the largest and most influential city-states during early Mesoamerican history. Established by the Zapotec civilization in the 5th century BCE, Monte Alban flourished for 1,500 years. Its eventual collapse coincides roughly with the fall of the great classic Maya city-states of the Petén, such as Tikal, over 800 miles away….
From the pyramids at Calakmul to the palace complexes in Uxmal or the ballcourt at Chichén Itzá — the grandeur of Maya archaeological sites — is lost on no one. But despite the awe these formidable examples of ancient architecture inspire, sometimes it’s essential to get close, zoom in, and appreciate the details. Some of the most…
If you asked most people in Yucatán if they have ever heard of Tahcabó, you would unlikely get many nods. But for locals, Tahcabó is far from some random backwater but rather “an ancient gem, uncorrupted by time,” as described by 72-year-old Don Emilio, who has lived in the community of just under 400 people…
The discovery of an extensive stone panel including 123 Maya hieroglyphs sheds light on previously unknown details about the ancient city of Cobá in Quintana Roo. The ancient stones tell of a previously unknown ruler of Cobá who went by the name of K’awiil Ch’ak Chéen. Thus, the K’awiil dynasty, now known to have comprised…
Atop a ridge overlooking a bountiful lake, Yaxhá grew rapidly to become one of the greatest ancient cities of the Petén during the early Classic period. Belonging to the Maya civilization, Yaxhá is in the municipality of Flores near the Belize border. Yaxhá translates to “green water,” likely making reference to Lake Yaxhá, which the…
Ch’el is a Maya archaeological site that sits inside a 19th-century hacienda property of the same name. Though it is best known by its contemporary name, Sihunchen, the site’s original name is thought to have been Ch’el — sometimes spelled Che’el or Chéel — which means “rainbow.” The Carnegie Institution conducted an archaeological survey of…
Caracol is a large ancient Mayan city located in Belize’s Cayo District and just a few kilometers from the Guatemalan border.
If you hear howls coming from the nearby jungle, don’t be alarmed. The howler monkeys that inhabit the jungle are very peaceful.
The mountains and plains surrounding Oaxaca de Juárez are jam-packed with archaeological sites. Here are eight of our favorites.
Think of Uxmal as the Athens to Chichén Itzá’s Sparta, though this is a useful yet great oversimplification.
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