Altun Ha

Altun Ha is the name given to the ruins of an ancient Maya city in Belize, located in the Belize District about 50 kilometres north of Belize City and about 10 kilometres west of the shore of the Caribbean Sea [1]. The site covers an area of about 8 square kilometres [1]. The largest of Altun Ha's temple-pyramids, the "Temple of the Masonry Altars", is 16 metres high [1]. Starting in 1964, an archaeological team led by Dr. David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum began extensive excavations and restorations of the site, which continued through 1970 [1]. Most of the information on Altun Ha comes from the Classic Period from about A.D. 400 to A.D. 900, when the city was at its largest [1]. The earliest structures found at Altun Ha, found in Zone C, are two round platforms that date to about BC 900−800 [1]. Over 800 pieces of jade have been recovered at the site [1]. By the beginning of the eleventh century, the site of Altun Ha was completely abandoned [1].