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Xunantunich - "Stone Woman" :
Overlooking the Mopan River, the ruins of Xunantunich are
located approximately eight miles west of San Ignacio Town
at San Jose Succotz Village in the Cayo District. The ruins
are accessible by public transportation, but after being
ferried across the Mopan River, you must walk about one
mile to the entrance of the site. By using a travel and
tour operator, you will be ferried across with their vehicle,
thus eliminating the walk.
Xunantunich was a major ceremonial center during the Classic
Period. The site is composed of six major plazas, surrounded
by more than twenty-five temples and palaces. The most prominent
structure located at the south end of the site is the pyramid
"El Castillo"(The Castle) which rises 130 feet
high above the plaza. " El Castillo" was the tallest
man-made structure in all of Belize, until the discovery
of "Canaa" at Caracol. The most notable feature
on "El Castillo" is the reconstructed frieze on
the east side of the lower temple.
Currently, additional explorations and excavations are
being performed by Dr. Richard Leventhal and the Department
of Archaeology, in an effort to better understand the history
of Xunantunich.
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