 Go To Ruins Map |
The Belize Virtual Guide SANTA RITA(Stop 17 of 18) |
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Go To Ruins Map |
The Belize Virtual Guide SANTA RITA(Stop 17 of 18) |
| The site of Santa Rita, located in the northern part of Belize, has been occupied throughout the Mayan Civilization and on into present times. Today the site is literally part of the town of Corozal. Archaeologists theorize that Santa Rita was probably the ancient and important Mayan city of Chetumal. | |||
The importance of Santa Rita derives from its location. The city once controlled the trade routes that used the coast and the entrances to the two major rivers - Rio Hondo and New River. These rivers were major arteries of trade to the Mayan cities of Lamanai and the great cities of the Peten in Guatemala. Trade items included cacao, honey and vanilla. Santa Rita was first excavated in the early 1900's. But even then, the ruin was endangered by the ever expanding town of Corozal. The mounds of the site made very convenient road fill and the stones were excellent for house foundations. Because of the ever expanding borders of Corozal Town, the exact borders of the ancient Mayan city may never be known. |
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| Though exhibiting a long occupational history, Santa Rita was mainly an important Postclassic site which was occupied even when the Spanish arrived. The formation of the city dates to around 2000 B.C. This date was established through the discovery of a burial site containing very early pottery. | |||
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The only existing structure at the ruin dates from the Classic Period. This building is a complex series of rooms and passages. The central room appeared to be some sort of ceremonial chamber where offerings were made. Two burial chambers were uncovered here. One was that of an elderly woman complete with elaborate jewelry and pottery. The second burial chamber was that of a warloard, evident from the artifacts found near him - a ceremonial flint and a stingray spine used in bloodletting rituals. | ||
| The Postclassic Period at Santa Rita, the Period to which the importance of this site is normally attached, is revealed through artifacts rather than structures. Because the Maya of this period built low platform structures on top of which they placed buildings constructed of perishable materials, little remains of the structures of this time period. | |||
The artifacts found at Santa Rita from the Postclassic Period reveal that exotic rituals such as blood-letting, so important during the Classic Period, continued to play an important religious role. The presence of turquoise and gold ear-flakes of Aztec origin, which also date from the Postclassic Period, attest to the continuing trade importance of Santa Rita several hundred years after the decline of the major ceremonial centers of the interior. Santa Rita then, has been identified as the most important center of Mayan activity in the northern section of Belize at least twice in its history. During the early Classic period, it dominated Chetumal Bay and controlled trade to and from the Rio Hondo and New Rivers. Archaeologists have identified strong trade links with major centers deep within the interior. |
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| After a short decline during the Late Classic Period, Santa Rita once again rose to promenence. With the decline of Classic sites to the north, Santa Rita became the capital of one of the 19 Mayan political entities as recorded by the invading Spanish. At that time it was called "Chactemal", corresponding to the present day Chetumal. | |||
 
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