Postclassic Maya of  Southern Belize

            The Postclassic in southern Belize is especially marked by its involvement in long distance trade. Heather McKillop has described Wild Cane Caye as a coastal Maya trading centre. It is situated in the Port Honduras reserve. McKillop’s research of underwater sites in lagoons and along the coast has brought up debris related to salt and trade. Other researchers have found what is referred to as Terminal Classic and Postclassic pottery; for example, at Pusilha, which suggests importation or local manufacturing. Researchers conclude that Pusilha may have been used for rituals and habitation.

            Archaelogical work on the Stann Creek Valley has also yielded evidence of the habitation in this area during the Classic and Postclassic eras. Pottery and architecture from Sibun have yielded evidence of settlements by Maya people, including northern people from Chichén Itzá and Yucatán. Ceramics and remains of buildings suggest influences from as far away as Puuc and Chichén. They suggest widespread settlements in southern Belize from the Middle Preclassic to Postclassic times with a preference for habitation along the coast.