Tourists – never would guess

 

 

   

 

Xunantunich is an Ancient Mayan ruin about three hours from here in Placencia, about eighty miles west of Belize City in the Cayo District. We jumped up and were ready for Reuben to drive us at seven. Xunantunich is located on a ridge above the Mopan River, well within sight of the Guatemalan border - just a half a mile away to the west. It served as a Maya civic ceremonial centre in the Late and Terminal Classic periods to the Belize Valley region. At its’ peak, nearly 200,000 people lived in Belize. Xunantunich’s means "Stone Woman" and, like many names given to Maya archaeological sites, is a modern name; the ancient name is unknown. The name refers to the ghost of a woman claimed by several people to inhabit the site, first seen in 1892. She is dressed completely in white and has fire-red glowing eyes. She generally appears in front of "El Castillo", ascends the stone stairs and disappears into a stone wall.

  

 

 

 

 

 

The first modern explorations of the site were conducted by Thomas Gann in the mid 1890’s. Gann moved from Britain and served as the district surgeon and the commissioner of Cayo, Brazil starting in 1892. Farmers that fed the people living in Xunantunich typically lived in small villages, divided into kin-based residential groups. The farms were spread out widely over the landscape, though the centre of Xunantunich itself is rather small in comparison. These villages were economically self-sufficient, which may be the reason why Xunantunich lasted as long as it did; the villagers were not dependent on the city to provide for them. Settlement density was relative to soil quality, proximity to rivers and localised political histories. 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

In order to better preserve the stelae of the site, the carved monuments were moved from the Plaza to a small building near the entrance.

 

 

   

   

 

Chronology: Architectural constructions boomed in Hats Chaak phase (AD 670-750) when Xunantunich’s connection with the polity Naranjo solidified. Left in a state of abandonment at approximately AD 750 due to an unknown violent event, Xunantunich did not re-establish itself as a strong presence in the region until Tsak’ phase in AD 780-890.

Monuments: The core of the city Xunantunich occupies about one square mile, consisting of a series of six plazas surrounded by more than twenty six temples and palaces.  

 

 

 

 

 

El Castillo: Is the second tallest structure in Belize (after the temple at Caracol),  some one hundred and thirty feet tall. El Castillo is the “axis mundi” of the site, or the intersection of the two cardinal lines. Evidence of construction suggests the temple was built in two stages (the earlier dubbed Structure A-6-2nd, which dates to around 800 AD, and the later Structure A-6-1st). Structure A-6-2nd had three doorways, whereas Structure A-6-1st only had doors on the north and south. The pyramid is underneath a series of terraces. The fine stucco or "friezes" are located on the final stage. The northern and southern friezes have eroded and the others were covered during the reconstruction and over time. There is a plaster mold on the Eastern wall frieze. Each section of the frieze is broken up by framing bands of plaited cloth or twisted cords (which represent celestial phenomena). The frieze depicts the birth of a god associated with the royal family, gods of creation, as well as the tree of life – the ceiba (which extends from the underworld, the earth, and the heavens).

 

 

   

   

Relationships with other sites: During a time period when most of Mayan civilizations were crumbling, Xunantunich was managing to expand its city and its power over other areas within the valley. It lasted a century longer than most of the sites within the region. It is known that Xunantunich superseded Buenavista as the hub of sociopolitical administration for the upper valley, in addition to the main location for elite ancestral and funeral rites and ceremonies. One theory is the move was made due to political strife in the lowlands due to neighbours vying for control over Buenavista, and that Xunantunich is a much more easily defensible site (located on top of a hill). There is evidence trade and communication between other sites was in abundance. First, there is the disbursement of pine. Pine grows naturally in the Mountain Pine Ridge, which is accessible via the Macal River. It was imported to Xunantunich, where the disbursement of this valuable commodity could be controlled by the elites and rulers. Pine was used ritualistically and for building purposes for the upper class, which would sometimes be given to members of the lower class to strengthen socio-political strategies. Similarities between potteries found in different sites are a trait commonly looked for by archaeologists. The difference between qualities of pottery can accentuate gaps between social classes within a location, just as it can show the difference between classes of other polities. In the Terminal Classic period, equality in the distribution of pottery at Xunantunich can be seen as political currency across the Belize Valley. Pottery types became uniform among sites found in the areas in Belize Valley around Xunantunich, further evidence of their strong relationships with the “Stone Woman” site.