The Classic and Postclassic Periods
Whatever the original construction dates of the Maya sites in Belize, most of what you can see today dates from the Classic period (300-900 AD), the greatest phase of Maya achievement. Elaborately carved stelae bearing dates and emblem-glyphs tell of actual rulers and of historical events, such as battles, marriages, and the dynastic succession. The best example in the country is at Nim Li Punit , north of Punta Gorda. Developments in the Maya area were powerfully influenced by cultures to the north, above all that of Teotihuacan , which dominated central Mexico during the early Classic period until its collapse in the seventh century, an event which sent shockwaves throughout Mesoamerica. However, as the new Maya rulers in Belize gradually established dynasties free of Teotihuacan's military or political control, their cities flourished as never before. The entire Belize River valley was thickly populated during Classic times, with powerful cities such as El Pilar and Xunantunich in the west controlling this important trade route. Many Maya centres were much larger than contemporary Western European cities: Caracol had an estimated 150,000 people. Exactly how the various cities related to one another is unclear, but it appears that three or four main centres dominated the Maya region through an uncertain process of alliances. Calakmul , in Campeche, Mexico, and Tikal in Peten, Guatemala, were the nearest of these " superstates " to Belize, but in 562 AD Caracol defeated Tikal, as shown by a Caracol ball-court marker. Detailed carvings on wooden lintels and stone monuments at the site depict elaborately costumed lords trampling on bound captives. The end of the Classic Maya civilization, when it came, was abrupt. By 750 AD political and social changes began to be felt; alliances and trade links broke down, wars increased and stelae were carved less frequently. Most cities rapidly became depopulated and new construction ceased over much of Belize after about 830 AD. By the end of the Classic period there appears to have been strife and disorder throughout Mesoamerica. But not all Maya cities were deserted: those in northern Belize, in particular, survived and indeed prospered, with Lamanai and other cities in the area remaining occupied throughout the Postclassic period (900-1540 AD). In the years leading up to the Spanish Conquest, the Yucatan and northern Belize consisted of over a dozen rival provinces, bound up in a cycle of competition and conflict.
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