NIM LI PUNIT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

Nim Li Punit was built in the Late Classic Period and is one of the smaller Maya sites. It is well known for the large amount of stelae found at the location. A stela is a large stone with pictures or words carved onto it. The word “Nim Li Punit” was derived from a carving found on the longest of the site's twenty-six stelae, depicting a figure wearing a large headdress. In the Maya Kekchi language, Nim Li Punit means "big hat". The Stela is the longest in Belize and the second longest found in the Maya World measuring 9 meters in length.

Nim Li Punit is located half mile off the Southern Highway, just outside the village of Indian Creek in the Toledo District. The site is accessed using a dirt road that is fairly steep and hilly. Upon reaching the top of a ridge, you will find the visitor center. The visitor center consists of two buildings which are artistically built with huge stone pieces, black corrugated iron railings and old fashioned wooden doors with glass panes. The structure blends in naturally with its surroundings. Inside, many precious artifacts are on display. Several of the displays provide information and pictures about the customs, dress, food, dance, and language of the Maya people.

LUBAANTUN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

Lubaanntun means "Place of the Fallen Stones" and was occupied from 700-900 AD (generally the Late Classic Period). Lubaantun is the only known Mayan settlement in Belize in which buildings were constructed without mortar (other settlements exist in Mexico and Honduras, but not Belize).

Lubaantun is the largest Maya site in Southern Belize. It is well known for its unusual style of construction. All of the structures are made of limestone blocks with no visible mortar binding them together. The strength of each structure lies in every hand-cut stone, which was carefully measured and shaped to fit snugly next to each neighboring block.

Eleven large structures tower above five main plazas and three ball courts. Unlike most other Maya ceremonial sites, the existing structures are solid and have no doorways. Another unique feature, not found in other sites around the region, is the rounded corners on the structures. Since no corbelled arches exist, it is believed that perishable materials such as wood and thatch, were used to build superstructures at the highest levels.

Lubantuun is believed to have been an administrative, religious, political, and commercial center, mainly used for occasional festivals, ball games, and other sacred ceremonies. Although no stelae were found here, the site is well-known for its abundance of ceramic whistle figurines. A few burial tombs are also present.

The famous, yet controversial, crystal skull was supposedly discovered in 1926 by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, daughter of archaeologist, F. Mitchell-Hedges, during an expedition on her seventeenth birthday. This perfectly shaped human skull carved from an 8 inch cube of rock crystal is still possessed by Anna who lives in Canada. The origin of the crystal skull remains a mystery.

BLUE CREEK CAVE

One of the most impressive natural sites in the Toledo District is the Hokeb Ha Cave in Blue Creek Village. The cave is a 20 minute hike from the village. The trail is a well marked, sometimes cemented, path which leads to a clearing, where you will find the research station. From this point you will continue with your guide until you meet a wide, dry creek filled with white stones. After crossing the dry creek, you will continue hiking beside the creek heading upstream along the base of increasingly steep limestone cliffs. In a few minutes, a 10 foot waterfall and the main cave entrance appears.

Long vines hang from the sheer rock wall above the cave mouth. The huge cave entrance is carved from the summit of a hill where the Blue Creek bubbles from beneath the ground. The creek runs out of the entrance of the cave, cascading over limestone boulders, under the towering shadows of the surrounding rainforest. Archaeologists have found many Late Classic ceramics potteries, as well as an altar inside the cave, leading them to theorize that the Hokeb Ha cave was used specifically for ceremonial purposes.

DETAILED ITINERARY:

This is a combination tour, either two ruins (Nim Li Punit and Lubaantun) or the ruins and cave (Nim Li Punit and Blue Creek Cave). The tour departs Placencia at 7:30 am with an hour and a half drive to Nim Li Punit. A 2 hour guided tour of the site follows our arrival. Lunch is served at a jungle restaurant in Big Falls Village.

After a nice, healthy lunch we will continue with a 1/2 hour drive to either Lubaantun (if you are doing two ruins), or to Blue Creek Cave (if you are doing the Ruins and Cave tour). Both tours start at 7:30 am and are a full day, going until approximately 5:00pm.