The Spanish conquest and the Maya collapse: how ‘religious’ is change?

Figures & data

Table 1 Belize Maya chronology

Period	Approximate calendar dates
Belize Independence	1981 to present
Self-governing British Crown Colony	1964–81
British Crown Colony	1862–1964
British colonial settlement	1660s–1862
Spanish colonial	1544–1648/1708 (Spanish sovereignty claimed to 1798)
Terminal Postclassic/Contact	1450/1492–1544
Late Postclassic	1350–1450/1492
Middle Postclassic	1200/1250–1350
Early Postclassic	1000 to 1200/1250
Terminal Classic (Maya collapse)	800–1000
Late Classic	600–800
Middle Classic	450–600
Early Classic	250–450
Terminal Preclassic	100 bc–ad 250
Late Preclassic	400–100 bc
Middle Preclassic	900–400 bc
Early Preclassic	1500–900 bc
Archaic	pre-1500 bc

Figure 1 Map of Belize showing locations of Tipu and Lamanai and other known Spanish-period communities in northern Belize (drawing by Debora Trein and Emil Huston).

Figure 2 (a) Lamanai, crocodile-like effigy vessel cached at the base of a stela (Stela 4). The stela was erected at the junction of the nave and sanctuary of the second church built at Lamanai (YDL II). Also found were a re-cut jade pendant in the form of a human face and a fragmentary jade bead. LA 423/4. Length of figure = 9.7cm (drawing by Louise Belanger). (b) Lamanai, centipede-lobster effigy figure (Cache N12-11/3, LA 3035/1) found at the base of the north stair of the first church at Lamanai, YDL I. The contents of the vessel comprised two chert bifaces (LA 3035/2,3), a stingray spine (LA 3035/4,5 (in two fragments) and three shark's teeth (LA 3035/5,6,7). Length of the effigy = 21cm (drawing by Louise Belanger).

Figure 3 (a) Lamanai Burial N10-4/19, lkg N. (b) Lamanai Burial N10-12/7, lkg W.

Figure 4 Marco Gonzalez Burials Str. 14/21-25, 10, 15, lkg N.