Investigating Maya Terminal Classic Period Architecture at Plaza H, Cahal Pech, Belize

Located in the Upper Belize River Valley, Cahal Pech sits on a large hilltop overlooking the town of San Ignacio, Belize. The site represents a medium size ceremonial/administrative center active from the Preclassic through Classic Maya; it is one of 14 archaeological preserves interpreted and open to the general public in Belize. The final occupation of the center has been the subject of intensive ongoing research through a partnership between the University of Montana Anthropology Department and the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR). This research has focused on Plaza H, located in the northeastern portion of the site. The plaza was primarily occupied during the Terminal Classic Period (750 A.D. - 1050 A.D.), which is characterized by the end of elite systems, monumental architecture, trading of prestige goods, and population decline at most centers in the Maya lowlands. In this presentation, the significance of research conducted during the summer of 2019, chiefly focused on the architectural features and construction phases of the plaza, is considered. These excavations were centered on the complete exposure of structure C-3, a range structure at the plaza that may have served the residential needs of the last elite family at the site, exposed and evaluated through vertical and horizontal excavations. With previous limited research conducted during the Terminal Classic at Cahal Pech, this research is transformational in providing further insights into the last occupation of the site. Results allow us to have a deeper understanding into the development of the architecture at Plaza H and how it connects to the social power of a family using the long history of Cahal Pech to project leadership