All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

Belize

Cenote used by the Mayans for offerings (representational). Source: 2ragon / Adobe Stock.

Fossils and Artifacts Found in Belize's Sacred Mayan Pools (Video)

In a recent discovery, a team of researchers has uncovered what appears to be an underwater portal to the Maya underworld . The team had set out to explore the sacred pools of the ancient Maya,...
Carvings on the peak of the El Castillo pyramid (Structure A6) at Xunantunich, Belize (cjuneau /CC BY-SA 2.0)

11,000 Years Of Ancient Culture In Belize

Not even 50 years ago, Belize, in Central America, gained independence on September 21, 1981, but its history dates back to 9,000 years. In prehistory the territory was home to several ancient...
Thousands of bone fragments litter the floor of the Maya Midnight Terror Cave in Belize. Representative image.

Child Sacrifice Victims at Maya ‘Midnight Terror Cave’ Gagged Before Slaughter

Archaeologists studying Belize’s “Midnight Terror Cave” have discovered mysterious blue fibers in the tooth plaque of sacrificed teenagers, which suggests the young sacrifice victims had been gagged...
Aerial view of the elite platform and the 15 stemmed macroblades found in a cache at the Maya settlement in Belize. Source: ©2022 VOPA and Belize Institute of Archaeology, NICH / University of Illinois

Excavations at Maya Settlement in Belize Tell Story of Maya Golden Age

Representatives of the Belize Institute of Archaeology have been working with graduate students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on a series of excavations in Central America. During...
Caracol site in Belize. 	Sources: ivanka84 / Adobe Stock

Caracol: The Most Remote and Magnificent Maya Ruins In Belize

Something of a hidden gem, Caracol is one of the largest Maya sites of Central America, and certainly the largest in Belize, yet it receives far less footfall than other ruins in the region. The...
Flotation survey at the Ek Way Nal Maya salt making site in Belize, with flags marking the locations of wooden posts below the sea surface. 		Source: Heather McKillop / Ancient Mesoamerica journal

Maya Salt Makers in Belize Worked From Home, Reveals Study

A fresh analysis of artifacts collected from a salt-making facility submerged beneath a lagoon in Belize has revealed enlightening details about the organization and functioning of the Maya salt...
Maya Wealth Inequality Was Linked to Despotism, Claims Belize Study

Maya Wealth Inequality Was Linked to Despotism, Claims Belize Study

A new study of hundreds of Maya habitations in Belize has revealed a massive wealth gap developed in the Classic Maya period. While it may not come as a surprise to discover that Maya society was...
Ancient Submerged Factory Reveals A Maya Salt Currency

Ancient Submerged Factory Reveals A Maya Salt Currency

Long-term analysis of a submerged salt plant in Belize has revealed extensive and surprising details about the salt making practices of the great Maya civilization during its Classic Period, which...
Ancient Burial Brings New Date Of First Maize Use In Mesoamerica

Ancient Burial Brings New Date Of First Maize Use In Mesoamerica

An international team of researchers has investigated the earliest humans in Central America and how they adapted over time to new and changing environments, and how those changes have affected human...
Maya ruins.  Source: Byron Ortiz / Adobe Stock

Dozens of Ancient Maya Farms Revealed by Laser Scanning

Ancient Maya civilization thrived for thousands of years beneath the cover of tropical forest in Central America, but once their civilization disappeared, so did much of the evidence of it. For a...
Digitized image of the Komkom Vase.

Hieroglyphic Vase Reveals Amazing Insights into Maya and Eventual Collapse of Civilization

The discovery of an ancient Maya vase painted with hieroglyphs is the longest Pre-Columbian text ever found in Belize and is offering new information about this once powerful civilization including...
Skull in Actun Tunichil Muknal.

Would You Dare to Visit an Ancient Maya Cave of Human Sacrifice? If So, Head to Belize

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Natural Monument, or the “Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre,” in Belize is where archaeologists have uncovered evidence of human sacrifice rituals dating back to 3rd century...
The newly-discovered jewel with 30 hieroglyphs on its back, a private message seen mostly by the king who wore it.

Impressively Large Jade Pendant with Unique Inscription Discovered in Belize

A group of archaeologists have discovered in Belize a large, carved jade pendant that once belonged to an ancient Maya king, inscribed with a historical text delineating its first owner. The newly...
A view across the main plaza of Xunantunich to El Castillo

Tomb of a Possible Royal Found at Ancient Maya Site of Xunantunich in Belize

Much of the legacy and wealth of the ancient Maya city of Xunantunich in Belize was dispersed by a British medical officer who excavated (some would say looted) it in the 19 th century, but last week...
The Horrifying History of the Midnight Terror Cave in Belize

The Horrifying History of the Midnight Terror Cave in Belize

The Midnight Terror Cave is an archaeological site located in the Cayo District, which is in the west of the Central American nation of Belize. The cave is situated to the south of Belmopan, the...
Terra cotta image of Maya Rain God Chac at San Francisco's de Young museum.

Researchers Explore the Role of the Prehistoric Kayuko Mounds in Maya Royal Accession Ceremonies

Around the world and throughout history many rulers who’ve taken power have said their authority is ordained by God. In Europe it was called the divine right of kings and in China the mandate of...
LiDAR image showing the contral area of El Pilar, and the Citadel to the far right, (east of the core area).

The Mysterious Temples and Citadel of El Pilar Remain Hidden in Thick Jungles of Belize

Thick jungle vines and choking vegetation have not dissuaded archaeologists in their quest to uncover the mysterious past of a hidden treasure nestled in deep foliage straddling the border of Belize...
This Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) image shows the outlines of the central area of Pilar. At far right is the Citadel.

Ancient Maya citadel discovered in Belize is an anomaly

Many centuries ago on the border of Belize and Guatemala, Maya people built a large city surrounded by a cultivated jungle garden that was home to around 20,000 people, which archaeologists call El...
Aerial footage of the newly discovered Maya water temple.

Maya Water Temple Complex discovered where ritual offerings were made to placate the Rain God

Archaeologists have discovered that the Maya made offerings to Chaak, the rain god, at a newly discovered water temple complex alongside the sacred pools of Cara Blanca in Belize. The sacrifices...
Honduras Mayan city ruins in Copan

New research reveals clues into downfall of Maya civilization

A new study that examined minerals from the famous underwater cave in Belize, known as the Blue Hole, discovered evidence for an extreme drought between 800 and 900 AD, which corresponds to the time...
Belize Maya mural

Archaeologists discover rare ancient Maya mural on cattle ranch

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Maya mural underneath a mound of jumbled trees and bushes on a cattle ranch in Belize. The landowner has agreed to leave it untouched for now, but there are...