Site · Belize
Caracol
Maya, 600 BCE–900 CE
Caracol is the largest Maya site in Belize, with the 43-metre Caana ('Sky Palace') as its centrepiece and a population estimated above 100,000 at its Late Classic peak. It defeated Tikal in 562 and Naranjo in 631, and its agricultural terraces and radial causeways became the model case for lidar mapping in Maya archaeology. The site lies within the Chiquibul Forest near the Guatemalan border.
| Country | Belize |
|---|---|
| Dates | 600 BCE–900 CE |
| Status | Archaeological Reserve |
| Managed by | Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) |
| Access | Reached by road through the Mountain Pine Ridge from San Ignacio, usually with a guide; open daily with an entry fee and a small visitor centre. |
| Coordinates | 16.764, -89.118 (public site) |
What was found
Excavations by Arlen and Diane Chase since 1985 recovered royal tombs with painted texts and polychrome vessels, altars recording the 562 CE defeat of Tikal, jade and shell ornaments, and lidar survey in 2009 mapped over 200 square kilometres of terraces, causeways and residential groups.
Rules
Nothing may be collected; under Belize's National Institute of Culture and History Act (2000) all ancient monuments and antiquities are the property of the state and unlicensed excavation, possession and export are offences. This article is for study and context only and is not a collecting locality.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Caracol" (Site). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/sites/caracol. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-caracol,
title = {Caracol},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/sites/caracol}},
year = {2026},
note = {Site article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.