La Milpa
La Milpa Archaeological Site · La Milpa — Programme for Belize
Preclassic–Late Classic·Maya (Three Rivers)·🇧🇿 Orange Walk District, Programme for Belize, Belize
About
About La Milpa
Third-largest Classic Maya city in Belize (c.400 BCE–900 CE, peak 600–800), with 85+ residential courtyard groups, Main Plaza 1.2 ha, Great Pyramid (Temple 1) 25 m, and North Plaza. Center of Three Rivers polity (~40,000 people), with 60 km regional sacbé network. Excavated by Boston University (Curtis, Tourtellot) and PfB since 1992; produced La Milpa stegosaur-like stucco masks, ballcourt, 20 stelae and Copán-style ceramics. Sustained 900 ha terraces, bajomargin agriculture.
Why it mattersThree Rivers super-center paradigm; tests Belize interior Late Classic depopulation vs resilience.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Cause of 850–900 abrupt Three Rivers depopulation — drought vs warfare
Theories
- 01La Milpa as interior maize terraforming metropolis, collapsed via 9th-century centennial drought bajomarginal exhaustion
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.400 BCE–900 CE
- Period
- Preclassic–Late Classic
- Culture
- Maya (Three Rivers)
- Builders
- Maya (La Milpa polity)
- Purpose
- Interior Three Rivers capital, bajomarginal plaza-mound metropolis and sacbé hub
- Abandoned
- c.900 CE
- Rediscovered
- PfB 1990s
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
On the ground
Structures & features
17.7990° N · 89.0550° W · 180 m · 2 mapped features
Great Pyramid (Temple 1)
pyramid25 m high 90 m base temple pyramid on Main Plaza north
17.7995° N · 89.0550° WSacbé and North Plaza
earthwork60 km sacbé segment linking North Plaza with outlying Courtyard 85
17.7985° N · 89.0560° W