William R. Bullard

A Unique Maya Shrine Site on the Mountain Pine Ridge of British Honduras

A small ruin of presumed ancient Maya origin is described. This ruin is the only certain prehistoric structure discovered on the Mountain Pine Ridge of British Honduras, and it is associated with a natural granite outcrop of monumental appearance in such a way as to suggest that the two formed a shrine of a type not previously reported in Lowland Maya archaeology. THE MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE is located within the Cayo District in west-central British Honduras. Part of the Maya Mountains, it is a heavily dissected upland more than 100 square miles in extent, underlain by granites and covered with grassland and open pine forest. Since the soils are unsuited to native agriculture, they offered no inducements for permanent settlement by the ancient Maya, who occupied the adjacent jungle-covered limestone country from Formative into post-Classic times. However, the granite outcrops provided an important source of material for metates and manos, hunting parties probably ranged the area, and trade routes may have crossed it. The little ruin reported here is unique for two reasons. It is the only certain prehistoric structure so far discovered on the Mountain Pine Ridge. Moreover, it is associated with a prominent natural rock outcrop in such a way as to suggest that the two formed a shrine of a type not previously reported in Lowland Maya archaeology. Other possible ancient structures on the Pine Ridge are cairns of jumbled stones on some of the higher peaks. At least one was built around a slate shaft. J. E. S. Thompson excavated some of these cairns in 1938. RBER, F. M. Although he found a few sherds, including incensario fragments, among the stones, he was unable to reach a conclusion concerning the construction date (Thompson 1938). However, there is fair evidence that at least some cairns were erected in the 1780s by a Colonel Despard to mark what at that time was the southern boundary of the British settlements. The shrine site is located near the middle of the Mountain Pine Ridge, near the Rio On, on one of the many low ridges which are typical of the topography. It is reached by a Forest Department road known as the Granite Cairn Road. The components of the site (Figs. 1-4) are oriented along a line which approaches very close to Magnetic North. They include: (1) a large granite outcrop of monumental appearance with a low bench or altar of slabs built against its base at the south side, (2) a platform structure with a stairway on its north side facing the outcrop, and (3) a naturally rounded boulder 85 cm. in diameter and 50 cm. high placed in front of the platform stairway like the monumental altars in Classic Maya ceremonial centers.