March 26, 2010

Of all the awesome Belize Maya sites, Caracol would have to be one of the top in terms of importance and grandeur. This once great Mayan city-state from the Maya Classic era is one of the countrys largest archaeological sites, and it also boasts the tallest manmade structure in the land. Caracol, or El Caracol as it is locally known, rests in the foothills of Belizes Maya Mountains at an elevation of around 1,500 feet. In Spanish, El Caracol means “the snail”, and its not entirely clear as to this why this appellation was applied. This largest of Belize Maya sites is just 25 miles south of San Ignacio, which is the capital of the tourist-friendly Cayo District, and you can easily organize tours to this, and other ancient Maya sites in the region. There is a nice picnic area at the entrance site for the Caracol Belize ruins, so you might pack a lunch for the trip. If you want to drive here yourself, its a good idea to rent a 4×4 vehicle, especially during the June-December wet season.

Like other ancient Maya sites in Belize, El Caracol was long- inhabited before large-scale construction began. Its believed that the first Maya settlers here arrived as early as 1200 BC. It wasnt until the Maya Classic era (300-800 AD) that the bulk of the significant building went on here. The sequence of past El Caracol rulers is traced through evidence linked to more than 40 structures that were built between the years 485-889 AD. El Caracol was without question one of the largest cities in the ancient Mayan world, and its estimated that at its peak, some 180,000 people may have lived in or near town. There is evidence to believe that Caracol may have conquered Tikal in 562 AD, and this year certainly coincides with the beginning of what is known as the Tikal Mid-Classic Hiatus. While Caracols population and consistent sprawl increased at this time, Tikal saw a significant decline in its population and monument construction. Visiting both El Caracol and Tikal today lends so much insight into how the ancient Maya lived. It also reveals just how advanced their building and artistry skills were.

Youll certainly want to consider dropping in on Caracol when thinking about which Belize Maya sites to visit, if not for the Caana alone. At just under 140 feet tall, the Caana is Caracols main temple-pyramid, and atop it you will find 3 smaller temples. Numerous small structures can be observed on a Caracol tour, and youll enjoy wandering about the three main plazas. There are two separate ball courts that youll want to take notice of, and its always a good idea to drop in on the Visitors Center. Besides getting pertinent information on the site at the VC, you can check out the collection of Maya artifacts, among which is an intriguing ceremonial altar. Unlike other significant ancient Maya sites like Tikal and Xunantunich, Caracol still remains largely un-excavated. In recent years, however, the focus has been to make Caracol one of the top Maya attractions in the country. Dry season excavations are aimed at recovering more of El Caracol from the jungle bit by bit, and increased trails and information signs are in the works for the area. Interestingly enough, Caracol is found within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, which is a joy for Nature-lovers to explore. The gigantic Ceiba trees here are certainly bound to mesmerize.

Should you plan a visit to the Caracol Belize ruins, you might also consider a few side trips to some of the other interesting destinations in the area. Western Belize, and namely the Cayo District, is known for having the best Belize caves to explore. Close to Caracol, the Rio Frio Cave is one of the easiest ones to reach and explore, and you dont even need a flashlight during the day. Swimming, hiking, picnicking, and just having a good time is usually part of the deal at Rio on Pools, which is close enough to El Caracol to toss into the plans. The natural, granite-boulder pools here are certainly refreshing, and sliding down the smoothed rock waterfalls is a blast. Caracol is open seven days a week, and there is a small fee to enter. Admission is reportedly free on Sundays, and overall, it doesnt seem to get too crowded here very often, which is a nice bonus. This might begin to change, however, as word gets out about how great of a destination El Caracol is.

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March 25, 2010

Caracol or El Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It is situated approximately 25 miles south of Xunantunich  and the town of San Ignacio Cayo, at an elevation of 1500 feet (460 m) above sea-level, in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. The site was the most important political centre of Lowland Maya during the Classic Period within Belize.

Discovery

The site was first reported by a native logger named Rosa Mai, who came across its remains in 1937 while searching for mahogany hardwood trees to exploit. Mai later reported the site to the archaeological commission for British Honduras, as the British colony, later to become independent Belize, was known at the time. In 1938 the archaeological commissioner, A.H. Anderson, visited the site along with a colleague H.B. Jex, spending two weeks in preliminary surveys and noting a number of carved monuments, stelae and Maya inscriptions. It was Anderson who gave the site its name —from the Spanish: caracol “snail, shell”, but more generally meaning spiral- or volute-shaped— apparently on account of the winding access road that led to the site.[1]

History

Ancient Caracol as a site was occupied as early as 1200 BCE. Its greatest period of construction was in the Maya Classic period, with over 40 monuments dated between 485CE to 889CE which record the dynastic sequence of the rulers. All are in Classic Choltian, the prestige tongue of the Lowland Maya. Its real name is provisionally translated from its glyph, as of 2003, ox witz ha (hispanicised, “Oxhuitza”) or “place of three hills”; K’antumaak is also possible.[2]

The town grew into one of the largest ancient Maya cities, covering some 65 square miles (168 km²) with an estimated peak population of about 120,000, or possibly as many as 180,000 people.

Caracol was at first a client of Mutal (at the Tikal site) 70 km to the northwest. Mutal’s influence weakened during the mid sixth century; losing control of Naranjo, between the two cities, to rival Calakmul. In 553 CE Mutal’s king Double Bird appointed a new lord over Caracol in attempt to outflank Naranjo. But then Caracol also allied itself with Calakmul. Three years later, Tikal declared an “axe war” against Caracol – “a war with intent to destroy” – and defeated it; but not, it turned out, decisively. In 562, Lord Kan (“Water”) I of Caracol, alongside Calakmul, declared a “star war” against Mutal – a holy war, planned in accordance with astrology – and captured and sacrificed Double Bird. This event is seemingly concurrent with archaeological and epigraphic evidence indicating the beginning of the Tikal Mid-Classic Hiatus, when an apparent decline in the Tikal site’s population, a cessation of monument building, and the destruction of certain monuments in the Great Plaza occurred as Caracol’s population and urban development seemingly skyrocketed.[4] After that, the Tikal site took on cultural characteristics of Caracol.

Lord Kan I passed on his throne to the eldest of two brothers 26 June, 599. His younger brother succeeded him 9 March 618 and took the name Lord Kan II. He performed a ritual of alliance in Calakmul’s territory the following January.

Caracol’s sometime ally Naranjo by this time had meanwhile made feelers toward Mutal. So, in 28 May 626, Lord Kan II pre-emptively attacked Naranjo. He attacked again 4 May 627, and sacrificed its king. This destabilised Naranjo, provoking a third attack 27 December 631. He did it a fourth time 4 March 636. On 24 November 637, he capped it off by celebrating his first katun of reign at Naranjo itself; and, on 6 December 642, he imposed the Hieroglyphic Stairs monument upon it.

In 682, Tok-Chan-K’awil of the Tikal royal family-in-exile at Dos Pilas installed his daughter as queen in Naranjo, removing it again from Caracol’s demesne. In 800 CE, Hok K’awil captured the lord of Ucanal. The last recorded date in Caracol (and Choltian-speaking Belize) is 859 CE, on Stele 10.

Excavations, investigations, and modern development

The site was first noted and documented in archaeological terms in 1937. More extensive explorations and documention of the site was undertaken by Linton Satterthwaite of the University of Pennsylvania in 1951 and 1953. A project of archaeological excavations and restorations of the ancient structures at Caracol started in 1985 and is ongoing. The project is currently directed by Drs. Arlen and Diane Chase of the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The site is maintained by residential wardens from the Belize Institute of Archaeology, a sub-division of the National Institute of Culture and History, a government-run agency.

The site currently accommodates an average of 15-20 tourists per day, with greater numbers during the peak season around Easter. A museum to hold the large monuments found at the site is currently being constructed. A visitor center is already at the site, and recent developments include new directional and informational signs and a house for the residential staff.

The only road Caracol may be accessed by is paved for the last ten miles and leads to the Western Highway between San Ignacio and Belmopan and to Santa Elena.

Caana (“sky-palace”) is the largest building at Caracol. It remains one of the largest man-made structures in Belize.

Other area sites

Other Mayan sites within the Cayo province include Xunantunich, Cahal Pech and Chaa Creek.

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