Belize

Cahal Pech

Maya hilltop palace complex, western Belize

Location

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Historical Context

About

Cahal Pech is a Maya site located near the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize. The site was a palatial, hilltop home for an elite Maya family, and though the most major construction dates to the Classic period, evidence of continuous habitation has been dated to as far back as 1200 BCE during the Early Middle Formative period (Early Middle Preclassic), making Cahal Pech one of the oldest recognizably Maya sites in Western Belize.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Earliest habitation

c. 1200 BCE

Abandonment

9th century CE

Naming and first studies

1950s

Primary excavation began

1988

Restoration completed

2000

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Public and Civic Structures

PlazasAdministrative Buildings
category

Religious and Ritual Structures

Temples
category

Domestic and Habitation Structures

Palaces
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

Belize

Coordinates

17.15° N, -89.07° E