NICH releases Jades of Belize book

Belize is known for many archaeological finds, but one of our most famous pieces is the Jade Head discovered in 1968 at the Altun Ha in the Belize District. At nine and three-quarter pounds, the depiction of Maya Sun God Kinich Ahua is the largest carved jade artifact found in MesoAmerica … although it’s housed in a vault, a number of other jade discoveries are currently on exhibition at the Museum of Belize. Today that institution launched a book that they hope will encourage more Belizeans to learn about this precious stone and its value to the Mayas.

Dr. Jaime Awe, Director, Institute of Archaeology
“Today we perceive gold, diamonds, silver as the precious stones and we do so because of acculturation, but to the Maya, Jade was the precious stone.”

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
This morning the Museum of Belize launched a catalogue on the Jades of Belize to compliment the exhibition on display since 2005.

Lita Krohn, Director, Museum of Belize
“Usually when you have an exhibition it is there for just a little while and then it’s put down and sent to somewhere else. In order to have a record, we usually have a catalogue.”

Dr. Jaime Awe
“The Maya called Jade Ya’ax Chich, ya’ax means blue green or precious and the reason for this is that jade was associated with life, fertility and power. In fact, to the Maya, no stone was more precious than jade and the reason for it is that its colour reflects all those things that brought life to the Maya.”

The book is edited by Director of Institute of the Archaeology, Dr. Jaime Awe, and Museum of Belize Director Lita Krohn.

Lita Krohn
“It’s aimed for all Belizeans, it’s aimed for the teachers so that they can get information; it’s full of information, for the artisans. We have tourism and everything and in tourism they have to see the artifacts so they can make replicas and sell them; that’s what other people do. And of course tourists, so it’s for everyone.”

For NICH President Diane Haylock, the catalogue is a way for the institute to get Belizeans interested in their history.

Diane Haylock, Director, NICH
“Beyond the school children who come to the museum with their schools, many ordinary Belizeans are not taking advantage of these opportunities to get to know the wonderful histories of our cultural past, one of which is told so beautifully through jades. We at NICH are therefore challenged to find ways to reach out to our people across the land to join this important discovery of ourselves both in terms of our past and our present. The Jades of Belize catalogue is a small way in which we are trying to meet this challenge.”

Jades of Belize is available for sale at the Museum of Belize. Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

Museum curator Theresa Batty did the book’s layout, while Kernelle Parks is responsible for its design.