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Altun Ha is a comparatively small, but surprisingly rich, minor ceremonial center of Classic Maya Civilization. Located 10 km from the Caribbean sea and 30 miles north of Belize City, in an area once thought to be peripheral to the Maya civilization, Altun Ha was an important link in the coastal trading routes between the southern lowlands (Guatemala, Honduras & Belize) and the Yucatan and Mexico. The extensive excavation carried out at Altun Ha by the Royal Ontario Museum?s British Honduras Expedition from 1964-1970, headed by Dr. David Pendergast, have demonstrated the significance of this region of the ancient Maya world.

As with most Maya sites, the true ancient name of the city is unknown. The name Altun Ha, literally ?rockstone water?, is a rough translation into Maya of the name of the nearby modern village of Rockstone Pond.

The site encompasses an area of approximately 2.5 square km. (approx. one square mile), and includes at least 500 visible structures or mounds. At its peak, the population of Altun Ha and the surrounding vicinity may have been 8,000-10,000 inhabitants, with perhaps 3,000 individuals living in the central square mile of the site.

The earliest evidence of the settlement at Altun Ha dates to 200 B.C., although it is likely that nomadic hunting-and-gathering people lived in the area long before then. The earliest permanent buildings were erected in an area west of the central precinct, now accessible to visitors. The earliest construction in the central precinct may date to the time of Jesus Christ. The first major construction in A.D. 100, in the form of a temple near the principal reservoir, but by the beginning of the Classic Period (A.D. 250) the focus had shifted to the area, which the visitor sees today. This was to be the central core of the site for some six centuries. The northern plaza was the primary ceremonial precinct until close to the end of the Early Classic, about A.D. 550, when construction was begun on the second plaza.

The basic form of the ceremonial buildings consists of a solid pyramidal structure, atop which an altar, chambered building of masonry, or the perishable wood and thatch was placed. Each of the ceremonial structures which the visitor sees today represents not one but several buildings. The Maya periodically rebuilt their temples covering the earlier structures completely and building on top of it, or modifying it in some other major way. The temples thus grew is size through successive additions over the centuries. The modern reconstructions of these pyramids represent a composite of different construction phases, a combination that would never be visible in ancient times.

Construction at Altun Ha continued until about A.D. 900, though a decline in the quality of new building was evident 150 years earlier. As at other classic Maya sites, the society appears to have been severely disrupted early in the tenth century A.D. Although no single factor explains the collapse of Maya civilization, there is some evidence that a violent peasant revolt may have contributed to the downfall of the Maya at Altun Ha.

The center was not completely abandoned after the collapse, but appears to be occupied for about 100 years after construction activity had ceased, and reoccupied 200 years later during the 13th and 14th centuries.

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The Jade Head: Kinich Ahau - the Mayan Sun God is in the Museum of Belize.

Ever since its discovery, the jade head has been the subject of much controversy among Belizeans. For years most of us have believed that, shortly after its discovery, this unique Maya masterpiece was spirited out of the country and never returned to its rightful home. To dispel this myth, we at the Belize Institute of Archaeology recently (May 2005) invited Channel 7 to accompany us on a mission to prove that the jade head still resides in Belize, and that it remains one of the crown jewels of the country. Having accomplished our mission we would now like to provide some general information on this exquisite piece of ancient Maya art.

The jade head was discovered at in the Belize District's Mayan site of Altun Ha in 1968 by Dr. David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada. The head, along with forty other objects, had been placed within a large tomb that was located below the stair block on the Temple of the Masonry Altars (Structure B4). At the center of the tomb were the remains of an elderly adult male. This elite person was likely an important ruler of the site during his lifetime and may have commissioned an artist to produce the large carved object. We do not know the exact date that the head was carved, but analysis of cultural remains within the tomb suggests that the burial, and accompanying grave goods, were deposited in the structure sometime between 600 and 650 A.D.

Weighing 9.75 pounds and standing almost 6 inches high, the jade head remains the single largest carved jade object yet discovered in the Maya area. Its crossed eyes, fang-like elements on either side of the mouth, and the ahau glyph on the forehead all identify the head as a representation of the Maya sun god Kinich Ahau. Along with Chac (rain god) and Yum Kax (corn god), Kinich Ahau was among the most important deities in the Maya pantheon.

The Altun Ha jade head is truly a remarkable object and exquisite work of art. It is the only one of its kind in all of Mesoamerica. Because it was carved with nothing more than stone tools, we know that it may have taken many months, if not years, to produce. It was also carved from one large solid piece of jade that was imported from the Motagua River Valley region of Guatemala. Jade was also the most precious of stones to the Maya. Beside its exotic origins, its green color reflected that of water and the corn plant, the two most precious, life sustaining substances to the ancient Maya of northern Belize.

As it undoubtedly was to the prehistoric inhabitants of Altun Ha, the jade head continues to be a most important icon to the people of Belize today. It is prominently displayed on all Belize currency and has become an important symbol of our young nation. It is truly a remarkable work of art and everyone should make every effort to view it whenever it goes on display.

By Dr. Jaime Awe
Director, Belize Institute of Archaeology