It is not what you’d call an easy drive, particularly following a heavy rain. But on Monday cameraman Brent Toombs and I finally made it to an ancient Maya site in Cayo that, thanks to a multi-million dollar facelift, may one day become one of the nation’s most popular destinations. Janelle Chanona, Reporting Guatemala may […]
Prime Minister Musa today took time out to recognise ten years of steady development at the El Pilar Archaeological Reserve. In a ceremony in the village of Bullet Tree Falls, the P.M. pointed to the relationship between the ancient Maya and their environment as well as the role projects like El Pilar can play in […]
They were heavy, clumsy, difficult to operate and often blew up their own operators before killing any enemies. But cannons and cannonballs were the heavy weapons of choice for the Baymen and their contemporaries. Today, one of those ancient artillery pieces was unearthed in downtown Belize City…and News 5’s Jacqueline Woods was on hand. Jacqueline […]
The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada has returned eighty-two Mayan artifacts to Belize. The pieces, all but one of which originally came from the ancient Maya site of Altun Ha, were taken out of the country in the 1960’s under the care of archaeologist Dr. David Pendergast. At that time there were no facilities […]
Ever since Dr. David Pendergast unearthed the jade head at Altun Ha in 1967, the science of archaeology and the business of tourism have been inextricably linked in the development of Belize. Recently a project has been initiated that formally recognises the economic value of our ancient Maya sites and seeks to improve their appearance […]
Bureaucratic delays have set back the conversion of the old Belize City prison into the Museum of Belize, but fortunately the lack of progress in construction has not delayed the museum’s real purpose: the advancement of knowledge. News 5’s Stewart Krohn reports on one of the best kept secrets in Belmopan. Stewart Krohn, Reporting Forget […]
With access to its ancient temples limited to those with the ability to cross Corozal Bay, the ancient Maya site of Cerros has remained well off the beaten path for tourists and Belizeans alike. But officials are betting that new improvements for visitors will open the attraction to wider exposure. Jose Sanchez took the trip […]
It is rich in history and architecture, much of which is buried under its grounds. In recognition of that fact, the Yarborough Cemetery has been declared an archaeological reserve. The two hundred and ten-year-old graveyard, which at various times has fallen into a state of ruin, has recently found a new lease on life. Today […]
The El Pilar Archaeological Reserve in Cayo is the latest beneficiary of small grants funding from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust. PACT, which is financed primarily by a seven dollar and fifty cent per person fee charged to departing tourists, has provided almost thirty-five thousand dollars to the project. Those funds will be used to […]
Last Thursday we ran a story on a new classroom which was constructed at Hattieville Prison by personnel from British Forces. But that project is only one of many being carried out by the Royal Engineers, exercises which keep the military sharp and provide real benefits to Belize. On Tuesday News Five’s Janelle Chanona visited […]
While some Belizeans have taken exception to the Yabra Development Project in the Albert Division saying it will result in the desecration of an ancestral burial site, the Department of Archaeology said today that construction projects in the area are nothing new. They say that since 1905 various projects have meant graves in this portion […]
When the Yabra Development Project was launched on May twenty-sixth of last year, there were only a few residents who opposed the plans. But since the project broke ground, its opponents have become more vocal, openly protesting, through various mediums, what they see as desecration of sacred ground. In the forefront of the controversy is […]
One of the defining characteristics of our young nation is that it will always be considered a work in progress… with new frontiers, new challenges and new discoveries lurking around every bend of the river or fork in the trail. Tonight we invite you to join us on a hike down one of those forest […]
An archaeological site at Indian Creek in the Toledo District has a new visitor’s center courtesy of the European Union and the Government of Belize. The ribbon at Nim Li Punit Center was cut yesterday by Minister of Tourism Mark Espat. The facility includes a house to protect some of the south’s most important stelae […]
Minister of Tourism Mark Espat officially opened the Caracol Visitor’s Center over the weekend. The building features decorative panels with the history of Caracol during its heyday from 100 AD to 900 AD. John Morris of the Archeology Department says the facility is an interactive information center and provides detailed information on the site. The […]
Tourism and archeology in Southern Belize both received a boost last night as a project was dedicated in a short ceremony at the Radisson. The Maya Archeological Site Development Project is an effort financed by the European Union which is providing improvements to the Maya sites of Nimli Punit and Lubaantun in the Toledo District […]
The Archaeology Department will begin salvage excavations next week on the ancient Maya mound at Nohmul, which was bulldozed last weekend. Archaeology Commissioner John Morris told News Five that his staff will first seek to determine the extent of the damage at the site, located in the Orange Walk District, and will then proceed to […]
The news that visiting students were attempting to take Mayan artifacts out of the country did not surprise many Belizeans, who have long believed that foreign archeologists routinely export their best finds and show only the second rate stuff to government inspectors. While most visiting archeologists in fact would not dare to smuggle artifacts and […]
The archaeology department has embarked on a nationwide series of lectures intended to curb the looting of Belizean artifacts. A government press release says the exercise is targeted at personnel from the Customs and Immigration Departments, the police and B.D.F. in addition to high school students. The three month training series, which is being facilitated […]
