Lubaantun Mayan Temples

Lubanntun 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.