Archaeology Magazine - Maya Caves of West-Central Belize: Actun Halal


Actun Halal	"Maya Caves of West-Central Belize" Summer 2000

Actun Halal (Dart Cave) was found in 1999 and is being investigated further this summer. The Maya carved faces in the cave's soft flowstone. It is relatively small, with two entrances, and resembles a rock-shelter rather than a true cavern.

When this cave was discovered, it was found to share similarities in overall morphology to Actun Uayazba Kab--the petroglyphs are nearly identical. Because of this, the same methodology applied to the study in Actun Uayazba Kab in 1997 are being employed in the research at Actun Halal.

The excavations at Actun Halal in 2000 were supervised by Cameron Griffith, co-director of the Western Belize Regional Cave Project. He is pursuing his Ph.D. at Indiana University.

Field Update:

June 30, 2000

Large face carved in the wall of Actun Halal