Pacbitun is a Maya archaeological site located near the town of San Ignacio, Belize, in the Cayo District of west central Belize.Healy, Paul F. (1990a), “The Excavations at Pacbitun, Belize: Preliminary Report on the 1986 and 1987 Investigations”, Journal of Field Archaeology 17(3):247-262. The modern Maya name given to the site means “stone set in earth”, likely a reference to multiple fragments of stone monuments. The site, at about 240 m above sea level, is one of the earliest known from the southern Maya Lowlands, and was inhabited for almost 2000 years, from ca. 900 BCE to 900 CE. Strategically, it straddles a territory of rolling, hilly terrain between the Mountain Pine Ridge and the tropical forest covered lowlands of the Upper Belize River Valley.Healy, Paul F., Bobbi Hohmann, and Terry G. Powis (2004), “The Ancient Maya Center of Pacbitun,” in The Ancient Maya of the Belize Valley: Half a Century of Archaeological Research, edited by J.F. Garber, pp. 207-227. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Site, architecture, monuments, and nearby caves The central part (Epicenter and Core Zone) of the site lies atop a partly artificial, east-west acropolis of limestone, and is marked today by over 40 masonry structures surrounding five major plazas. Monumental architecture at the site includes multiple temple-pyramids, up to 12 m tall, including an E-Group (Eastern Shrine) architectural assemblage on Plaza A. The palaces of the royal court of Pacbitun are concentrated on Plazas B and C, while an early ceremonial ballcourt is located in Plaza E. The site has multiple elevated causeways (sacbeob) which radiate outward to monumental architectural complexes, including a terminus complex (Structure 10) at the end of the Mai Sacbe. Another causeway (Tzib Sacbe) runs as much as 1 km from the site center.Weber, Jennifer U., Jon Spenard, and Terry G. Powis (2012), “Assemblages in Focus: Aspects of the Cultural Landscape in the Periphery of the Ancient Maya Site of Pacbitun” Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology 9:119-130; Weber, Jennifer, and Terry Powis (2012), “At the End of the Road: Investigation of a Termini Complex at Pacbitun, Belize” Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology 10:159-166; Weber, Jennifer (2011) Investigating the Ancient Maya Landscape: A Settlement Survey in the Periphery of Pacbitun, Belize. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Department of Anthropology, Georgia State University, Atlanta. The fragmentary remains of at least 20 monuments (13 stelae and 7 altars, to date) are mostly plain (and perhaps originally painted), with two carved monuments bearing partial hieroglyphic texts. Stela 6, found badly shattered atop Plaza A, has been reconstructed. It depicts a seated Maya ruler, with a Long Count date of 9.2.10.0.0 (March 22, 485 CE), one of the earliest monuments from the eastern Lowlands.Healy, Paul F. (1990b), “An Early Classic Maya Monument at Pacbitun, Belize”, Mexicon 12(6):109-110; Helmke, Christophe G.B., Nikolai Grube, Jaime J. Awe, and Paul F. Healy (2006), “A Reinterpretation of Stela 6, Pacbitun, Belize”, Mexicon 28(4):70-75. A carved fragment of Altar 3 bears the lower half of an ornately dressed, human figure standing atop two hieroglyphs. One of these may represent the Pacbitun toponym of “Sky Cave”, which also occurs on a Late Classic carved slate monument (Stela 21) at the larger center of Caracol, about 50 km to the south.Helmke, Christophe and Jaime Awe (2008), “Organización territorial de los antiguos Mayas de Belice Central: Confluencia de datos arqueológicos y epigráficos”, Mayab 19:20:65-91. A number of subterranean, limestone caves, virtually all showing signs of ancient Maya use, have been identified in the Pacbitun Periphery Zone.Healy, Paul F., Rhan-Ju Song, and James B. Conlon (1996), “Actun Petz: Preliminary Survey of a Cave near Pacbitun, Belize”. In Belize Valley Preclassic Maya Project: Progress Report on the 1995 Field Season, edited by P.F. Healy and J.J. Awe, pp. 139-152. Trent University, Occasional Papers in Anthropology #12. Peterborough, ON; Powis, Terry G. (2010), “Preliminary Investigation of Three Cave Sites in the Periphery of Pacbitun, Belize. Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology 7:153-160; Weber, Jennifer U. and Terry G. Powis (2011), “The Role of Caves at Pacbitun: Peripheral to the Site Center or Central to the Periphery? Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology 8:199-207; Spenard, Jon (2011), “Heading to the Hills: A Preliminary Reconnaissance Report on Pacbitun's Regional Landscape” in Pacbitun Regional Archaeology Project (PRAP): Report on the 2010 Field Season, edited by Terry G. Powis, pp. 33-89. Report Submitted to the Institute of Archaeology National Institute of Culture and History, Belmopan, Belize; Spenard, Jon (2012), “Defining Community Ch'een: A Report on the 2011 Archaeological Cave and Karst Landscape Investigations around Pacbitun, Cayo District, Belize: in Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP): Report on the 2011 Field Season, edited by Terry G. Powis, pp. 144-188. Report Submitted to the Institute of Archaeology National Institute of Culture and History, Belmopan, Belize; Spenard, Jon (2013), “Och Chan: A Report on the 2012 Archaeological Investigations in the Pacbitun Karstscape” in Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP): Report on the 2012 Field Season, edited by Terry G. Powis, pp. 87-103, Report submitted to the Institute of Archaeology, Belmopan, Belize; Spenard, Jon, Teresa Wagner, and terry G. Powis (2013), “Of Shells, Soda Straws, Caves, and Kings: Crafting, Body Practices, and Identity Making among the Ancient Maya of Pacbitun, Belize”, Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology 10:149-158. The caves and other karst features (rockshelters, bedrock outcrops, etc.) investigated in the Pacbitun region were used utilized by the Late Preclassic-Early Classic period and activities continued even after the centre was abandoned. The Late to Terminal Classic period saw the most evidence of subterranean use, and many of the caves and rockshelters near Pacbitun were extensively modified over that span. The modifications include broken formations, formal architecture, and large buried caches. Materials from the caves dating to the Middle Preclassic and earlier, as well as those from the Postclassic through Colonial periods, are limited. Nevertheless, Pleistocene period giant sloth remains were found in Actun Lak Cave, and the continuation of Maya settlement at nearby Tipu through the Colonial period indicates that the caves in Pacbitun region hold potential for signs of use during these earlier and later times.
Archaeological history First reported in the 1970s, Pacbitun was excavated extensively in the late 20th century by archaeologist Paul F. Healy (Trent University) and, in the early 21st century, by Terry G. Powis (Kennesaw State University).Healy, Paul F. and Jaime Awe (editors) (1995), Belize Valley Preclassic Maya Project: Report on the 1994 Field Season. Trent University, Occasional Papers in Anthropology # 10, Peterborough, ON; Healy, Paul F. (editor) (1999), Belize Valley Preclassic Maya Project: Report on the 1996 and 1997 Field Seasons, Trent University, Occasional Papers in Anthropology #13, Peterborough, ON; Powis, Terry (editor) (2013), Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP): Report on the 2012 Field Season. Final report submitted (and accepted) to the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of History and Culture, Belmopan City, Belize; Powis, Terry (editor) (2012), Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP): Report on the 2011 Field Season. Final report submitted (and accepted) to the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of History and Culture, Belmopan City, Belize; Powis, Terry (editor) (2011), Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project (PRAP): Report on the 2010 Field Season. Final report submitted (and accepted) to the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of History and Culture, Belmopan City, Belize; Powis, Terry (editor) (2010), Pacbitun Preclassic Project: Report on the 2009 Field Season. Final report submitted (and accepted) to the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of History and Culture, Belmopan City, Belize; Powis, Terry (editor) (2009), Pacbitun Preclassic Project: Report on the 2008 Field Season. Final report submitted (and accepted) to the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of History and Culture, Belmopan City, Belize. Based on these multi-year investigations, it is evident that the site was inhabited very early in Maya history, and flourished during the Late and Terminal Classic period (550-900 CE), before being abandoned. There is, so far, almost no evidence of an occupation before 900 BCE, nor a significant habitation after 900 CE, during the Postclassic period.
Important contributors to the knowledge and publications about Pacbitun include (alphabetically): Jaime J. Awe, Cassandra R. Bill, Arianne Boileau, Melissa Campbell, Kong F. Cheong, James M. Conlon, Shannon Coyston, Pamela J.A. Downe, Kitty F. Emery, Paul F. Healy, Christophe G.B. Helmke, Hermann Helmuth, Bobbi Hohmann, Gyles Iannone, David L. Lentz, Terry G. Powis, Cal Ritchie, Catriona Robertson, Vanessa Rodens, Rhan-Ju Song, Jon Spenard, Norbert Stanchly, Kay S. Sunahara, Teresa B. Wagner, Drew Ward, Jennifer U. Weber, Christine D. White, Anne Wiesen, and Lori E. Wright.
Preclassic period There are three recognized phases of the Preclassic period (900 BCE-300 CE) at Pacbitun. These are the Middle Preclassic, Late Preclassic, and Terminal Preclassic. The phases are demarcated and distinguished by variations in, mostly monochrome, ceramics, and dated by radiocarbon determinations.
Middle preclassic (900-300 BCE)