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The Maya of Belize

Belize has a rich, fascinating multicultural history, and it all starts with the Maya, some of the country’s earliest known inhabitants and an important part of today’s diverse society.

While much of the Maya’s recorded history was destroyed by Spanish conquistadors, Belize is still full of evidence of the accomplishments of this rich, precocious civilisation, from artefacts and pottery shards found almost anywhere one digs in the ground to the majestic Maya temples and city states such as Caracol and Xunantunich. In fact, the tallest manmade structures in Belize are the imposing Maya temples at those two sites.

Belize is the heartland of the Maya civilisation, and this is a legacy that takes on a greater focus with the arrival of the much heralded Winter Solstice of 2012 – an important date for the Maya and a time for major celebrations, activities and events throughout Belize.