11,000 Years Of Ancient Culture In Belize
Not even 50 years ago, Belize, in Central America, gained independence on September 21, 1981, but its history dates back to 9,000 years. In prehistory the territory was home to several ancient civilizations, including the Maya from around 1500 BC, who thrived between 250 and 900 AD. During this time, the Maya built impressive cities, developed a complex system of writing and mathematics, and made important scientific and cultural contributions to their ancient environment.
The extent of the Maya civilization territories in Mesoamerica. Lamanai is in Belize (Kmusser /CC BY-SA 3.0)
Before the rise of the Maya Civilization in Belize the region was inhabited by various groups of indigenous people, often referred to as the pre-Maya or the Proto-Maya, who lived off the land as hunter-gatherers and practiced simple agricultural lifestyles.
