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'Place
of the Fallen Stones' |
Lubaantun, “Place of the Fallen Stones” in Yucatec
Maya, is located about one mile from the San Pedro Columbia
village in the Toledo district. A Late Classic site, Lubaantun
was a major center of religious, ceremonial, political and
commercial activity during the eighth and ninth centuries
AD (AD730 – 860). It was a farming community that
traded with communities located in today’s Guatemala.
It is alleged that the Crystal Skull was found here. It
is reported that in 1924, Frederick Mitchell-Hedges unearthed
a quartz crystal artifact representing the human skull.
This artifact is currently in the possession of his daughter
Anna in Canada. Mystery and controversy surround the skull.
Approximately five crystal skulls have been found around
the world, but this particular skull is made with such precision,
and is the size of an actual human skull. It also has a
moveable jaw. Some have said that the skull has supernatural
properties.
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Lubaantun |
Lubaantun is characterized by the scarcity of sculptures.
No stelae, carved or plain, no wall panels, and no altars
are known from this site. A very limited amount of glyphs
and sculptures have been discovered. Despite the scarcity
of sculptures, a large number of pottery figurines, most
mold-made, are found here. Molds were made by carving an
original design in a material such as wood. A lump of clay
was then pressed around the original, and trimmed with a
sharp edge. The clay mold was then allowed to dry and heated
with fire. The mold was then ready to be used to create
the figurines. The small visitor’s center at the site
displays some of the figurines found at the site.
Lubaantun has eighteen plazas and three ball courts, and
its architecture is characterized by vertical, narrow or
broad stepped facing, and no corbelled vaulting (Maya arches).
The tallest structure rises 50 feet above the plaza. Buildings
were constructed by layering stone blocks, carved and fitted
perfectly together, without the use of mortar. Most of the
main buildings have rounded corners.
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Rounded
Architecture |
This site is smaller than many of the larger, more popular
sites in Belize, but it is unique, and certainly worth a
visit. The Mayan children in nearby villages will come and
chat, and play in the open ball courts. After having seen
the massive buildings at some of the other Mayan sites,
the intimacy of this site evokes an unusual welcoming feeling,
one of hospitality and closeness.
Places nearby: 
Interests:
