Altun Ha

Saturday morning we took a bit of a drive to Altun Ha which is north of Belize City (1.5 hour drive away from Belmopan). Kev and I were both feeling the need to see some Mayan Ruins. We were the only people at Altun Ha. Very cool having the whole place to ourselves. And even cooler is that they let you climb all over these things. I don't know how much of them are original anymore but that doesn't even matter.





A little history of Altun Ha:
The name Altun Ha literally means 'rockstone water' which is a rough translation of the name of a nearby village 'Rockstone Pond'. The site includes at least 500 visible structures or mounds. At its peak, the population of Altun Ha and surrounding vicinity ws between 8000 and 10000 inhabitants, with 3000 living in the central core of the city. Earliest evidence of settlement at Altun Ha is 200 BC although they were likely hunters and gatherers. The earliest construction on the site began around 100 AD (which is the first building in the photos above). Construction continued through 900 AD but then stopped in teh early 10th Century. Altun Has was reoccupied during the 13th and 14th centuries.