Cahal Pech located on a hill top overlooking the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena in Cayo district is one of the earliest settlement in western Belize. Cahal Pech: "Place of Ticks" was believed to have been first settled around 1200 BC and was abandoned around 900 BC. The name was given in the 50's since the area around it was used for pasture. This site is important in that it has provided archaeologists with a lot of information about the early Maya settlement in western Belize. Like most of the site in Belize the site was subjected to looting and vandalism through 70's and 80's.