A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Xunantunich, a major ceremonial center of Maya Civilization, is an ancient Maya archaeological site located atop a ridge above the Mopan River, about 80 miles (130 km) west of Belize City, Cayo District, in western Belize.
It’s composed of six major plazas, surrounded by more than twenty-five temples and palaces.
“El Castillo” at Xunantunich. Photo credits: – CC BY-SA 4.0
The name ‘Xunantunich’ derives from the Yucatec Maya language and means ‘Stone Woman’ (or“Lady of the Rock”). It is a modern name; its ancient name is currently unknown.
Local legend holds that around the end of the 1800s, a man from the village of San Jose Succotz went hunting near the site and suddenly saw a beautiful statuesque Maya maiden, standing motionless in the rays of the rising sun near the mouth of a cave, which extended beneath the large structure.
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