Caracol, Belize, and Changing Perceptions of Ancient Maya Society

Archaeological research at caracol, an ancient a site that was rediscovered in 1937, has become a major resource in the interpretation and understanding of the ancient a. caracol, in west-central belize, is situated in a subtropical region once characterized as being unsuitable for the development or maintenance of complex societies, yet it is one of the largest, if not the largest classic period a site in the southern a lowlands, home to over 100,000 people at its height between ad 600 and 700. the investigations at caracol underscore the utility of long-term archaeological projects incorporating large-scale settlement study that combine excavation with varied research designs and the use of a contextual approach. by employing a epigraphic history, traditional archaeology, and modern technology like lidar, research at caracol details the rise, maintenance, and fall of an ancient a city, affording a large window into ancient a lifeways. archaeological work provides evidence of sustainable agriculture, a market economy, city planning that included a road system, the impact of warfare on the site’s inhabitants, the sociopolitical status of women, the role that archaeology can play in refining written history, and the significance of commemorating the cyclical passage of time to the ancient a. this article summarizes archaeological research efforts at the site by the caracol archaeological project over the last three decades.