Abstract
The 2002 Season Investigations at Pook’s Hill, Belize
Highlights
A fourth season of excavations was conducted between July and September 2002 at the site of Pook’s Hill, Belize, as part of the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR) under the direction of Jaime J
Round shrine structures in the Maya Lowlands, such as the one at Pook’s Hill, are relatively rare, but appear to gain some prominence during the Terminal Classic, with notable examples at sites such as Seibal in Guatemala (Smith 1982: 164-173). The incidence of this architectural type appears to be associated with sociopolitical restructuring, population movement and changes in ritual practices occurring under the influence of so-called ‘Mexicanised’ Maya neighbours (Culbert 1973)
Further investigations will clarify whether such patterns are idiosyncratic or reflect wider social processes
Summary
A fourth season of excavations was conducted between July and September 2002 at the site of Pook’s Hill, Belize, as part of the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR) under the direction of Jaime J. Awe. The site is located in the Roaring Creek Valley of western Belize in the Cayo District, approximately 14km southwest of Belmopan (Fig. 1), among the karstic foothills of the Maya Mountains. Site Description The principle complex of Pook’s Hill is commonly referred to as a plazuela group, a residential site with masonry structures of various functions facing onto and delineating a quadrilateral plaza. Such residential groups follow typical Maya architectural practices, in being quadrangular and aligned to major cardinal points (Ashmore 1981: 4954). The group as a whole occupies an area of approximately 1030m2 of which about one-third is occupied by the plaza
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