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 "El Castillo" at Xunantunich | |
  Location within Mesoamerica  Location within Belize | |
| Location | San Jose Succotz, Belize |
|---|---|
| Region | Cayo District |
| Coordinates | 17°05′21″N 89°08′29″W / 17.089059°N 89.141427°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Preclassic to Postclassic occupation |
| Cultures | Maya |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Thomas Gann, Sir J. Eric S. Thompson, A. H. Anderson, Linton Satterhwaite, Peter SchmidtA |
| Condition | Old |
| Restored by Xunantunich Archaeological Project (1991–1997) | |
Xunantunich (Mayan pronunciation: [ʃunanˈtunitʃ]) is an Ancient Maya archaeological site in western Belize, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Belize City, in the Cayo District. Xunantunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan River, well within sight of the Guatemala border – which is 0.6 miles (1 km) to the west.[1] It served as a Maya civic ceremonial centre to the Belize Valley region in the Late and Terminal Classic periods.[2] At that time, when the region was at its peak, nearly 200,000 people lived in the Belize Valley.[3]
Xunantunich's name means "Maiden of the Rock" in the Maya languages Mopan and Yucatec, combining "Xunaan" (noble lady) and "Tuunich" (stone for sculpture). The "Stone Woman" refers to the ghost of a woman claimed by several people to inhabit the site, beginning in 1892. She is said to be dressed completely in white with fire-red glowing eyes. She generally appears in front of "El Castillo", ascends the stone stairs, and disappears into a stone wall.[citation needed]. Like many names given to Maya archaeological sites, "Xunantunich" is a modern name; the ancient name is unknown.
- ^ Yaeger, Jason. "Untangling the Ties That Bind: The City, the Countryside, and the Nature of Maya Urbanism at Xunantunich, Belize." The Social Construction of Ancient Cities. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 2003. 121-55. Print.
- ^ LeCount, Lisa J. "Ka'kaw Pots and Common Containers: Creating Histories and Collective Memories Among the Classic Maya of Xunantunich, Belize." Ancient Mesoamerica21.2 (2010): 341–51. Print.
- ^ Fagan, Brian M. "Xunantunich: "The Maiden of the Rock"" from Black Land to Fifth Sun: The Science of Sacred Sites. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1998. 302–31. Print.