Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project

The SoCal Mesoamerica Network meetings start in just over an hour. Hope to see you there.

Were there Maya in Belize when the British came ?

JOHN MORRIS:
"we have archaeological evidence of several Maya groups existing in Belize when the British came here particularly in the Yalbac area of Belize ... the Macal River at Tipu and up in the Orange Walk district near the present day Lamanai." John Morris

"I've written about that because I think that some people are purposely distorting our history. Suggesting that we emptied the land and the British came and...and just took over the land. There wasn't anybody here. Now...It's a wonderful idea if...if at that time you were a British person trying to advance your claims to this country. But the Yucatec Maya were here throughout." ANGEL CAL

Note: The number of Mayas living in Belize at the time of British contact has been estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000.
When Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century, the area of present-day Belize included three distinct Maya territories:

Chaktemal province, which encompassed the area around Corozal Bay controlled by the Yucatec Maya .

Dzuluinicob province, which encompassed the area between the New River and the Sibun River, west to Tipu. predominant Mopan Maya and among them Yucatec Maya refugees who had fled the northern.

a southern territory controlled by the Manche Ch'ol Maya, encompassing the area between the Monkey River and the Sarstoon River.

From 1788-1801 the Maya attack the British logwood camps with Bows and arrows .
In 1849 was the last reported attack made against the British with bows and arrows .
Attacks continue with weapons brought by Maya who came during the Caste war .

Exciting news to share, we have a new volume coming just in time for the SAA conference. The book is a review of all the archaeology at Pacbitun going back to the 1980s.

International Series :: COMING SOON: An Archaeological Reconstruction of Ancient Maya Life at Pacbitun, Belize This volume presents the results of 35 years of archaeological research at the Maya site of Pacbitun located in west central Belize The site was continuously occupied from 900 BC to AD 800/900 Excavations focused on both the site core and periphery with investigations centred around housemounds

Jon Spenard's cave and sacred landscape dissertation now available to download on the Pacbitun website.

the project website (pacbitunarchaeology.com) has been updated with recent presentations, season wrap up, improved bibliography, and the 2011 season progress reports.

season is over, everyone is home, and the van from hell has been returned!

Field season beginning in less than one week!

T-minus 2 days until the SAA. Don't forget that our session begins at 8 am Thursday morning.

Just a reminder that the SAAs are only a few weeks away in Memphis. We'll be having a Pacbitun session Thursday morning so be sure to come check us out!