Altun Ha, Archaeological site in Rockstone Pond, Belize

Altun Ha covers roughly 400 by 500 metres, about 2.33 square kilometres, and holds 516 preserved structures in 13 lettered zones. Groups A and B form the centre, with the Temple of the Masonry Altars rising 16 metres. The site has no stelae, and only one of its two altars carries an inscription.

Settlement traces date to about 800 BC, with the later centre occupied from 200 BC. In the Classic Period, roughly AD 280 to 700, it grew into an independent city-state enriched by trade between the Caribbean coast and the Belize River. Construction declined after about 800, the site was abandoned around 1000, briefly reoccupied after 1225 and again in the 15th century.

The Maya used this location as a trade hub for exchanging obsidian, jade and cacao with other Mesoamerican regions while developing complex religious ceremonies performed within the temples.

The location sits 31 miles (50 kilometers) north of Belize City and operates daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Guided tours are available and paved pathways provide wheelchair access to most areas of the grounds.

The jade head found at Altun Ha, the largest known Maya jade object, is 15 cm high and weighs 4.5 kg; it depicts the sun god K'inich Ajaw, not a ruler. The site has no stelae, and only one of its two altars carries an inscription.