Location: Ambergris Caye Island
Tel. 501-227-0518
The Marco Gonzalez Archaeological Site, located near the southern tip of Ambergris Caye, approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of San Pedro Town in Belize, is a significant coastal Maya site that offers unique insights into the maritime trade, subsistence practices, and environmental adaptations of the ancient Maya. Named after the local guide who led archaeologists Elizabeth Graham and David Pendergast to the site in 1984, Marco Gonzalez was first systematically recorded that year and excavated between 1984 and 1994, with further work conducted from 2010 to 2023. Covering an area of approximately 185 by 355 meters (607 by 1,165 feet), the site is situated in a low-lying mangrove swamp, surrounded by dense jungle and distinctive dark soils known as "Maya Dark Earths." Occupied from the Late Preclassic (ca. 300 BCE) to the Late Postclassic (ca. 1500 CE), Marco Gonzalez was a key trading port, with a peak population possibly reaching 20,000, and was heavily involved in salt production, fishing, and long-distance trade. Its eventual abandonment is attributed to rising sea levels and encroaching mangroves, which rendered the site inhospitable.
Marco Gonzalez was a vital node in the Maya maritime trade network,
strategically positioned on Ambergris Caye, a coral island off
Belize’s northern coast, bordered by a barrier reef. Its location
facilitated access to coastal and riverine trade routes connecting
the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula, and inland Maya centers like
Lamanai, Colha, and sites in the Petén region of Guatemala. The
site’s economy was diverse, with fishing, salt production, and trade
as primary activities. During the Late Classic (600–800 CE), Marco
Gonzalez specialized in industrial-scale salt production, evidenced
by standardized vessels used to create salt cakes, a valuable
commodity traded across the Maya Lowlands. By the Postclassic
(900–1500 CE), the focus shifted to broader trade, including
ceramics, obsidian, jade, and marine resources, reflecting the
site’s adaptability during the Terminal Classic “Maya Collapse” (ca.
800–900 CE), a period of social and environmental change rather than
total societal breakdown.
The Maya at Marco Gonzalez were
primarily fisherfolk in the Preclassic and Early Classic periods
(300 BCE–250 CE), exploiting the rich marine resources of the nearby
Hol Chan Marine Reserve. By the Late Classic, the site’s role as a
trading hub intensified, with evidence of contact with communities
along the Belizean coast, rivers, and islands. Artifacts such as
chert and flint tools, obsidian, jade, and ceramics made from
imported clay and quartz (unavailable on Ambergris Caye) indicate
extensive trade networks reaching as far as Guatemala, Mexico, and
possibly beyond. The site’s material culture, particularly its
Postclassic ceramics, closely resembles that of Lamanai, suggesting
cultural and economic ties between the two communities.
Marco
Gonzalez thrived during the Terminal Classic and Early Postclassic
(800–1200 CE), a time when many inland Maya centers declined. Its
coastal location and access to marine resources likely buffered it
against the droughts and political upheavals affecting the interior.
However, by the Late Postclassic (ca. 1500 CE), rising sea levels,
driven by the melting of Pleistocene glaciers, transformed the
site’s environment from open, shallow sea to a mangrove swamp,
making it increasingly inhospitable. This environmental shift,
documented in geological studies, likely prompted the Maya to
relocate, possibly to modern-day San Pedro, where archaeological
evidence indicates continued occupation into the Historic period.
Culturally, Marco Gonzalez reflects a practical,
subsistence-based Maya community with limited craft production but
significant ritual activity. Burials, such as Burial 14/40 from
2023, reveal individuals interred with grave goods like shell ear
spools, obsidian bladelets, polychrome ceramics, and writing tools,
suggesting social stratification and possibly scribal or elite
status. The absence of towering pyramids or carved monuments
distinguishes Marco Gonzalez from ceremonial centers like Tikal,
emphasizing its role as a trading and residential hub focused on
everyday life and economic activities.
Marco Gonzalez’s archaeological record, though impacted by looting
prior to formal excavations, provides a detailed sequence of
occupation from the Late Preclassic to the Late Postclassic. The
site comprises 49 identified structures, including house platforms,
walls, and small plazas, with some organized around plazas at the
northern end and others scattered randomly. Its stratigraphy,
preserved despite disturbances, reveals a complex history of human
activity and environmental change. Below is a chronological overview
based on ceramic typologies, stratigraphy, and comparisons with
other coastal sites:
Late Preclassic (300 BCE–200 CE)
Early Occupation: Scattered ceramic sherds and shell middens below
the modern water table indicate initial settlement, likely by
fisherfolk exploiting marine resources. The site’s earliest
deposits, submerged due to sea level rise, suggest a larger
habitable area than today. Subsistence focused on fishing, with
limited evidence of trade in jade and obsidian.
Architecture:
Simple house platforms made of reef stone and conch shells
(estimated at 50,000 shells in some structures) were constructed,
reflecting a modest but stable community.
Protoclassic and
Early Classic (1–250 CE)
Intensified Use: The site saw increased
activity, with more substantial house platforms and evidence of
trade in chert, flint, and granite tools. Ceramic similarities with
Lamanai and Colson Point sites suggest regional connections.
Economy: Fishing remained central, but trade in exotic materials
grew, indicating Marco Gonzalez’s integration into coastal trade
networks.
Late Classic (600–800 CE)
Peak Activity: This
period marked the height of salt production, with vast numbers of
standardized ceramic vessels used to produce salt cakes for trade.
The site’s population likely peaked, possibly reaching 20,000,
though this estimate is debated due to limited excavation data.
Architecture and Artifacts: House platforms and small plazas
proliferated, with abundant pottery sherds, chert flakes, and
obsidian tools littering the site. Burials with grave goods, such as
jade and shell ornaments, indicate social differentiation.
Environmental Context: Geological studies show the coastline
transitioning from open sea to sheltered lagoon, with mangroves
beginning to encroach as sea levels rose.
Terminal Classic
and Early Postclassic (800–1200 CE)
Resilience: Unlike many
inland sites, Marco Gonzalez thrived during the “Maya Collapse,”
shifting from salt production to broader trade. Ceramics from this
period resemble Lamanai’s Postclassic styles, and artifacts like
obsidian and polychrome vessels indicate continued long-distance
exchange.
Burials and Rituals: Excavations in 2023 uncovered
seven burials, including Burial 14/40, a young male with elite grave
goods (shell ear spools, obsidian bladelets, a bone stylus, and
polychrome ceramics), suggesting scribal or high-status roles. A
cache of grave-like goods without a body hints at unique ritual
practices.
Environmental Change: Mangrove swamps expanded,
reducing habitable land and altering the site’s ecology.
Middle to Late Postclassic (1200–1500 CE)
Decline and
Abandonment: Occupation continued, with house platforms and burials
indicating sustained activity. However, rising sea levels and
mangrove encroachment made the site increasingly difficult to
inhabit. By 1500 CE, the Maya likely relocated to higher ground,
possibly San Pedro.
Artifacts: Late Postclassic ceramics and
tools show continuity in trade and subsistence, but the site’s scale
diminished.
Post-Abandonment
After 1500 CE, Marco Gonzalez
was reclaimed by mangroves and jungle, preserving its structures
under a protective canopy. Looting before 1984 damaged some areas,
but the site’s remote location limited further disturbance until
formal excavations began.
Marco Gonzalez lacks the monumental architecture of major Maya
centers, focusing instead on residential and economic structures.
Key features and artifacts include:
House Platforms:
Constructed from reef stone and conch shells, these low platforms
supported pole-and-thatch houses. Their abundance (49 identified
structures) reflects a dense residential community. Platforms made
of 50,000 conch shells highlight the Maya’s use of local marine
resources.
Plazas and Walls: Small plazas at the northern end
suggest communal or ritual spaces, while walls and scattered
buildings indicate a less centralized layout. The site’s
kidney-shaped mound (3.5 meters above sea level) is a prominent
topographic feature.
Burial 14/40 (2023 Excavation): A young male
buried face-up with crossed legs in Structure 14, accompanied by
shell ear spools, two obsidian bladelets, a gourd-shaped ceramic
vessel, two orange polychrome vessels, a bone needle, two conch
shell ink pots, a bird bone stylus, and ceramic sherds. This burial
suggests elite or scribal status and provides insights into
Postclassic burial practices.
Ceramics: Abundant pottery sherds,
made from imported clay and quartz, dominate the site. Standardized
vessels from the Late Classic indicate salt production, while
Postclassic polychrome ceramics reflect trade with Lamanai and other
sites.
Stone Tools: Chert and flint tools, along with minor jade
and obsidian, were imported, as Ambergris Caye lacks these
materials. Use-wear analysis shows they were used for subsistence
tasks like fishing and processing marine resources, with limited
craft production.
Maya Dark Earths: The site’s dark, fertile
soils, formed from carbonate-rich anthropogenic deposits, are
distinct from Amazonian Dark Earths. These “Maya Dark Earths” result
from centuries of human activity (e.g., shell middens, organic
waste) and are sought locally for cultivation, highlighting the
Maya’s long-term environmental impact.
Marco Gonzalez is significant for its role as a coastal trading hub
and its resilience during periods of regional upheaval. Unlike
inland centers that declined during the Terminal Classic, Marco
Gonzalez’s access to marine resources and trade routes enabled it to
thrive, challenging the narrative of a uniform “Maya Collapse.” Its
focus on salt production, fishing, and trade underscores the
diversity of Maya economies, with coastal sites playing a critical
role in sustaining regional networks.
The site’s artifacts
and burials reveal a community with social stratification, as
evidenced by elite grave goods and possible scribal activities. The
absence of monumental temples or stelae suggests a practical,
trade-oriented society, yet ritual practices like burials and caches
indicate cultural continuity with broader Maya traditions. The 2023
discovery of a cache resembling grave goods without a body raises
intriguing questions about Postclassic ritual practices, possibly
linked to ancestor veneration or symbolic offerings.
Marco
Gonzalez’s environmental history is equally significant. Geological
studies show how rising sea levels and mangrove encroachment
reshaped the site, forcing adaptation and eventual abandonment. The
formation of Maya Dark Earths highlights the Maya’s unintentional
but profound impact on soil fertility, offering lessons for modern
environmental management. Research into these soils, using Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA), aims to quantify the long-term effects of
human activity, with implications for sustainable land use today.
Marco Gonzalez was designated Belize’s first island-based
Archaeological Reserve on April 1, 2011, managed by the National
Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and the Institute of
Archaeology (IoA) in co-management with the Marco Gonzalez Maya Site
Board of Directors. The site is accessible but remote, reached via a
30–45-minute golf cart ride from San Pedro’s airstrip, followed by a
quarter-mile walk over a temporary footbridge through mangroves. The
surrounding jungle, with white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa),
gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba), and poisonwood (Cameraria
belizensis), creates a rugged, immersive experience.
Access
and Logistics:
Location: 5 miles south of San Pedro, accessible
by golf cart along the windward beach side or via guided tours.
Trails are overgrown, especially in the rainy season
(June–November), and the footbridge may be slippery.
Hours and
Fees: Open daily, typically 8 AM–5 PM, with an entry fee of
approximately BZD $10–15 (exact cost varies). Guided tours,
recommended for context, cost around BZD $36 for a small group.
Facilities: Minimal amenities include the footbridge and basic
trails. No restrooms, visitor center, or on-site museum exist,
though plans for a Visitor/Educational Center (estimated at $1.5M
USD) aim to include artifact exhibits, restrooms, and parking.
Guides: Tours led by local Sanpedranos or archaeologists (when
excavations are active) provide insights into the site’s history and
wildlife (e.g., wading birds, mangrove cuckoos, snakes).
Visitor Experience:
Marco Gonzalez offers a “virgin”
archaeological experience, with uncleared house platforms and
abundant artifact scatters (pottery sherds, chert flakes) visible
but not to be removed. Unlike polished sites like Caracol, it lacks
temples or monuments, appealing to those interested in everyday Maya
life and unexcavated ruins. Visitors walk through mangroves and
jungle, encountering wildlife and distinctive vegetation (e.g.,
Quadrella incana, a tree newly recorded in Belize). Reviews are
mixed: some praise the site’s authenticity, wildlife, and the thrill
of seeing archaeologists at work (e.g., during 2023 excavations),
while others find it underwhelming due to its lack of visible
structures, mosquito prevalence, and high cost relative to the
experience. Bug spray, long pants, and early morning visits are
recommended to avoid heat and insects.
Community Involvement:
The Marco Gonzalez Archaeological Project (MGAP), led by Elizabeth
Graham and others, engages local Sanpedranos through co-management
and educational initiatives. The 2023 field school, involving
students from Michigan State University, University of Belize, and
Galen University, trained undergraduates in photogrammetry, 3D
modeling, and bioarchaeology, fostering local capacity. The site’s
website (www.marcogonzalezmayareserve.com) and planned digital
tools, like georeferenced maps, aim to enhance tourist and community
engagement.
Marco Gonzalez has been studied since 1984, with key excavations by
Graham and Pendergast (1984–1994), followed by work with Scott
Simmons (2010–2012) and a multi-institutional team in 2023. Research
focuses on trade networks, salt production, and environmental
impacts, particularly the formation of Maya Dark Earths. The 2023
season introduced photogrammetry and 3D modeling for documentation
and an “osteobiographical” approach to burials, enriching narratives
about past inhabitants.
Preservation is challenging due to
the site’s mangrove environment and prior looting. The jungle canopy
protects structures, but rising sea levels and storms threaten
long-term stability. NICH and the IoA oversee conservation, with
local management ensuring community involvement. Plans for a
Visitor/Educational Center aim to balance tourism, education, and
preservation, though funding remains a hurdle.