Tour Description
Nim
Li Punit, meaning "big hat" in Mayan, was only discovered in 1976.
This site has been classified as strictly a Late Classic period site. Situated
along the top of a ridge in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, the site has a
commanding view of the coastal plains of the Toledo district.
Nim
Li Punit lacks the architectural wonder of other Mayan sites, but is special
for a number of reasons. First, the buildings are constructed of dry masonry
sandstone as opposed to the mortar and limestone used in other areas. Second is
the large number of stelae found at this site. Twenty five stelae, eight of
which are carved, were discovered here.
The
center of the site consists of three main plazas, including a ball court. The
largest structure stands 40 ft. above the plaza level. A second structure is
only ten feet high, but is two hundred feet long.
The
south group is the most impressive and most of the stelae were found here. One
stela has an individual carved with a huge headdress. This is where the site
gets its name. Another stela was found to be over fifty feet long.
Nim
Li Punit is important because apart from architectural structures, probably the
most important Mayan art form was the stela. These were stone slabs or pillars
set within the ceremonial centers of cities. They were more often then not free
standing art works often paired with an altar.
Hieroglyphic
inscriptions are often found on the back and sides of stelae, while the front
face is decorated in low relief with a single standing figure or a scene
involving two or more figures. These carvings are now known to depict some
aspect of the life of the ruler to whom the stela was constructed.
On
one stela at Nim Li Punit, a ruler scatters copal incense into a flaming
brazier, and is flanked by his wife and a young man, possibly his son or
successor. Copal is a local product common to Southern Belize. This incense was
thought to be used by rulers to communicate with the gods.
Archaeological
work did not begin at Nim Li Punit until 1983. A royal tomb was discovered in
1986 which yielded 36 pottery vessels and many other artifacts. Much more work needs
to be done.
Evidence
suggests that Nim Li Punit was largely occupied during the Late Classic Period.
There is little evidence of any other developments.
Today,
Nim Li Punit overlooks milpas, jungle and the Toledo coastal plain. Just below
the site, Mayan women from the nearby village of Indian Creek use the streams
which flow along the site's borders to do their laundry, probably much as their
ancestors did a thousand years before.
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