To some the jungle may seem inhospitable
or even hostile, but the Mayans transformed the elements
of their environment into one of the world’s great
civilizations ....  From
around 300 BC, at a time when Persian
armies were fleeing before Alexander the Great, the
Mayan world was
ruled by a handful of immensely powerful kings regarded as
living gods by their subjects.
Pyramids were
erected by peasant farmers and slaves
without the aid of beasts of burden or the wheel. The
cities they
built were inhabited by the ruling family, nobility,
priesthood and warriors, while the masses lived in agricultural
villages in the hinterland. Their temples, pyramids and palaces
were painted in the sacred colors of the Mayan: red, blue,
yellow and green.
 The species-rich tropical forest supplied fruit, construction materials, game and medicines. Good soils for cultivation yielded corn, beans, squash and cotton. The river systems provided fish for food and transportation for trade. Extensive limestone formations supplied building blocks along with chert and flint for stone tools. This was the environment that the Mayans adapted
to their needs and way of life for a span of nearly 20 centuries
during which they developed a rich cosmology, an arithmetic
system that included the concept of zero, a complex
calendar system based on a solid understanding of astronomy,
and a
system of writing which included both hieroglyphic and phonetic
representation.
 Belize is recognized as the center of the ancient Maya world. And it was here in the "central lowlands" of western Belize and the Guatemalan Peten that the ancient Maya flourished during the Classic Period from 300 to 900 AD. Archaeologists now estimate that 2,000,000 Mayans once lived in what is now Belize. The Mayan Golden Age ended abruptly around 900 AD. Eventually, the crumbling cities were engulfed by the jungle and forgotten. It wasn't until the 18th century that intrepid explorers began to discover them. Modern-day archaeologists following in their footsteps have unearthed thousands of sites throughout the Mayan World and satellite photos indicate that there are many more to be discovered.  In Cayo District, it is almost impossible to travel even a few miles without finding evidence of former Mayan presence. Many landowners can point to ruins of ancient household groups, underground storage caches - called "chultuns" - and small temples. Many of Cayo’s numerous caves, such as Chechem Ha and Actun Tunichil Muknall, were used for storage or ceremony, as evidenced by pottery and skeletal remains. Visitors can catch a glimpse of this ancient civilization's accomplishments by visiting the Mayan ruins of Caracol, Xunantunich, El Pilar and Cahal Pech in Cayo District, and Tikal, Yaxhá and El Ceibal in nearby Guatemala. In Northern Belize, popular sites readily assessable to the visitor include: Lamanai, Altun Ha and Cerros.
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