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tj Hoffman | all galleries >> travel_adventures >> belize_archaeology >> The Beauty of Belize, Mexico & Guatemala >> other_maya_sites >> baking_pot_belize_river_valley > A Pastoral Setting Along The Belize River
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1985 t.j. Hoffman

A Pastoral Setting Along The Belize River

The ancient Maya city of Baking Pot lies just outside of San Ignacio, on the south bank of the Belize River. It remains one of the few un-looted sites of the ancient Maya world (due to its proximity to a British military base that has existed for most of Belize's modern history). The site is also located on government farmland, complete with modern cowboys who patrol the area on horseback.

Resting along The Belize River Valley, Baking Pot was occupied for an extended period of time beyond that of surrounding settlements. James Aimers in 2003 noted in his article, that Baking Pot is unique in that it had a large population during the Terminal Classic Period (800-900 A.D.) while other sites in the Belize River Valley were declining, and occupation continued into the Postclassic (900-1250 A.D.) whereas major Classic Period sites in the southern lowlands were by then abandoned. It has been suggested that the site's fertile soil from seasonal sediments washed in from river overflow [an alluvial valley] provided valuable resources that were useful for continued group settlement.

A significant presence of Augustine Red ceramics from the capital city of the Itza Maya kingdom, located on an island in Lake Petén Itzá, Northern Guatemala suggest an intrusion by this group during the Postclassic estimate 0f at least 900 A.D.

During the "chicle" boom of the 19th century, "chicleros" used the land around the site to boil down the sap (in enormous baking pots) to an exportable product, giving the site its present name.

Belize Valley Archaeology Reconnaissance [BVAR], under the direction of San Ignacio native Dr. Jaime Awe contunue to excavate the site with field school members from around the World...


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