[Aztlan] AVENTURA--MAYA CITY DISCOVERED IN BELIZE

[michael ruggeri]

Aventura - ancient Maya city discovered on modern papaya farm in Corozal


Friday, 01 June 2007
By Joseph Stamp Romero - Staff Reporter

The Belize Reporter


Excavated structure where platform was found.  Platform can be seen  
to the left of the gentleman.

Archeologists say they have stumbled on three Mayan foundations,  
which are part of a large Mayan city called Aventura, dating back to  
the early Classic Period of the Mayan Civilization. Among the  
artifacts retrieved are the bones a man and a woman, believed to be  
1,800 years old.

The Belize National Institute of Archaeology have said that they  
found what appears to be another piece of the Mayan Civilization  
buried beneath a Papaya plantation in the Corozal area.

It is believed that Aventura had seven to ten thousand inhabitants  
and encompassed an area of two to three square miles.

The discovery came during a pre-construction of Fruta Bomba, a  
company that falls under the parent company of Brooks Tropicals, a  
Florida based company that grows and ships new Caribbean Red and  
Caribbean Sunrise Papayas from Belize.

One of the houses measures 26 by 65 feet, and holds four rooms that  
have not been fully excavated. It is 25 yards from a Mayan temple in  
the center of the city. This structure is considered to be very large  
for the Classic Period.

Its size and the ornate pottery which includes double mouthed jars  
used to carry water indicate that its owner-family was perhaps not  
royalty, but had royal connections.

One of two other structures excavated south of the residence measured  
200 feet. The other structure north of the residence measured almost  
1,000 feet.

Archaelogists also found two skeletal remains buried beneath the  
houses thick (18 inches) limestone rock floor. The crypts were in a  
back room that had been cut into the earth and lined by stones  
approximately 12 by 12 inches in size. The stones were precisely cut  
and plastered, again indicating the wealth of the residents. Each  
side of the crypts were six feet high, and the tops were six feet  
wide, each filled with fine soil.

As was the Mayan tradition in this region, a vessel was placed with  
the remains, possibly to aide the dead through the underworld. In  
this excavation, the woman had a bowl placed over her head, and the  
man had a large family heirloom plate over his.

Mayans usually placed the vessels under the head. These burials are  
unusual in this aspect, noted Chief Archeologist Jaime Awe. A small  
jade piece was also found.

Other skeletons were also unearthed but found outside the residence.  
The more important findings will be housed at the National Museum in  
Belize City, but the Institute of Archeology is allowing the company  
to erect a display area in its recreation centre for employees and  
the community to view.





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