Pictures, Photos, Information, Reviews.
Google Map To Lamanai, Belize.
Top Center Of Map - Above "Water Bank."
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"El Castillo" or Structure N10-43. Lamanai, Belize. "El Castillo" or Structure N10-43. Lamanai, Belize.
| "El Castillo" or Structure N10-43. Lamanai, Belize. |
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| "El Castillo" or Structure N10-43. Lamanai, Belize. |
| Eve DeLange At "El Castillo," Structure N10-43. Largest Pre-Classic Structure In Belize. Looking North At The South Stairway. | Eve DeLange At "El Castillo," Structure N10-43. Largest Pre-Classic Structure In Belize. Looking North At The South Stairway. |
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Lamanai is a rather old site and it has an interesting history. The evolution of the structure called N10-43 or "El Castillo" has an interesting history. This page features N10-43. It is the tallest structure at Lamanai, 114.829 feet tall! Quoting from Dr. David Pendergast, who we met on May 19, 2003, upon the site of Lamanai. "The radiocarbon date associated with abnormally high concentrations of corn pollen in a feature called The Harbour, the Maya had established an agriculturally based settlement at Lamanai by or before 1500 B.C. The concentration of pollen suggests very strongly that the material represents waterborne ceremonial activity in what was, probably throughout the site's occupation, a small arm of the great lagoon on which Lamanai faces. This in turn suggests that the settlement may have been of moderate size by 1500 B.C. The earliest extensive evidence, including both residential and communal structures, falls around 500 - 700 B.C., and reveals Lamanai as a nucleated community with a somewhat diffuse Central Precinct. By this time or slightly later, residential settlement had embraced what was to become the heart of the Classic-period Central Precinct, the area of Structure N10-43. Near the end of the Preclassic, probably around 100 B.C., a major transformation of the site took place. Whereas the community's centre lay originally in the northernmost part of the site as we see it now, probably to be near the small area of raised fields north of the site's margin, its late Preclassic heart shifted southward. The shift embodied one of a series of truly major changes in Lamanai's appearance as well as its activity patterns. In a real "urban renewal" project, a group of small southern residential structures was supplanted by the massive initial stage of Structure N10-43, which served as the focal point for the first major plaza group to appear at the site." A considerable amount of restoration has been going on at the site. The small photos below were taken of Structure N10-43 or "El Castillo on May 19, 2003 at about 11:30 am. The photos were taken just two weeks before the rainy season had begun for 2003. The larger photos were taken on November 16, 2012; when we visited the site on a tour by Dr. Joseph L. Allen, professor of archaeology, and his son Blake Allen.
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It is possible to fly into Belize City and then to go directly to a hotel of your choice and then to take a tour of Lamanai. The Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (IATA: BZE, ICAO: MZBZ) is the airport that serves Belize's largest city, Belize City. The airport will be going through major expansions to handle more planes and for the airport to bring in flights from Europe. The expansions are planned to be completed in 2015. Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport is about a 30 minutes drive from Belize City's center, in Ladyville. The best way to get to and from the city center is via taxi. Although an airport bus service exists, it is very infrequent and unreliable. If you fly in to Belize City at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, you can be transported to wherever you need to go. You can also arrange air transfer reservations or pre paid tickets from the mainland of Belize to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and then return back to the mainland of Belize. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly to San Pedro, and Ambergris Caye. Note: Lamanai is not the easiest place to reach if you're traveling without a guide. We strongly suggest a guide to get you there and to tour the site. We have links to Priceline.Com on this page so you can arrange you flight and hotels. After confirming your hotel, I suggest contacting their Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, to arrange any tours of the area, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. We do this almost all the time, when traveling in Belize. It is safe and it works!!! We have never experienced a problem doing it this way!
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| "El Castillo", Structure N10-43. Largest Pre-Classic Structure In Belize. Looking North At The South Stairway. | Closer View. |
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| SW Corner, South Face Of Temple. | SW & Middle South Face Of Temple. |
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| SE & Middle South Face Of Temple. | SE Corner, South Face Of Temple. |
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| Mask West Of Center Stairway. | Mask East Of Center Stairway. |
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| Close Up, Decor SW Corner South Face Of Temple. | Close Up, Decor SE Corner South Face Of Temple. |
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| Center Stairs Looking Up. | Center Stairs Looking Down In NE Direction. |
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| Center Stairs Looking Down In NW Direction. | Structure Near Top, Looking NW. |
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| Structure Near Top, Looking East. | Structure Near Top, Looking West. |
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| Structure Near Top, Looking West Stairs To The Top. | East Side & Back (North). |
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| SE Corner. | NE Corner. |
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