NIM LI PUNIT: THE PLACE OF STELAE

MAYA ARCHAELOGICAL SITE OF BELIZE
Excavations at this ceremonial center, discovered in 1976, indicated that it was important during the Late Classic Period. Of the more than 25 stelae found at the site, at least 8 are carved, one of which remains the tallest carved stela in Belize and in most of the Maya area, measuring 9 meters (31 feet). The name is Maya for "bighat" and was taken from the person wearing a very large headdress on the tallest stela.
Nim Li Punit is located off the Southern Highway about 25 miles north of Punta Gorda Town (c.a. mile.75), and is not accessible by public transportation. Buses from Belize City to Punta Gorda run 3 times per week and pass by the site.
The ruins are a fifteen minute walk from the road. The nearest accomodations are in Punta Gorda Town.

Southern Complex Connection
Nim Li Punit lacks the architectural scale of Lubaantun but complements the latter by virtue of its concentration of sculpted stelae. While it was first thought that Nim Li Punit was a subsidiary centre which functioned as a funerary cult centre for a local elite -probably that of Lubaantun- archaeological survey has now located a fairly extensive settlement associated with the centre. As a result, the site must be regarded as a ceremonial centre in its own right. Until further investigation can be undertaken the true position of Nim Li Punit within the interactions of ancient southern Belize will remain unclear. The presence of so many impressive monuments at the site is still a mystery.

The Site
Nim Li Punit ("Big Hat") is situated along the top of a ridge in the foothills of the Maya Mountains; a flat coastal plain lies to the east and south of the site. The ceremonial centre consists of two plazas, one raised about two metres higher than the other. It is here that the 25 stelae, at least eight of which are carved, and a ball court are located. The largest structure stands 10 12 metres (33 - 40 ft.) above the plaza level. A second structure is only three metres high but is 65 metres (215 ft.) long.
The centre of the site is made up of three groups: the ceremonial group described before and two civic and elite residential groups. Though the site is not a large one its architecture is very similar to that of Lubaantun.

Archaeological Work
On the discovery of Nim Li Punit by oil company workers in 1976 the Archaeological Commissioner asked Norman Hammond, then director of the British Museum-Cambridge University Corozal Project to investigate the site. An initial map was drawn, test excavations were made within the central plaza and monuments were turned over to examine hieroglyphic inscriptions and iconography. A preliminary survey of these inscriptions was conducted by Barbara McLeod; twenty-five monuments were identified, the longest being 17 metres.
The then Archaeological Commissioner, Joseph Palacio, prepared for the site to be declared an Archaeological Reserve. A caretaker was posted, the site was cleared of bush and visitors welcomed. To this date, however, the site has not been officially declared an Archaeological Reserve.
Archaeological work did not begin again at Nim Li Punit until 1983 when Richard Leventhal surveyed the site and its surroundings as part of his regional research. In 1986 he sunk test pits into the ceremonial precinct and uncovered yet another stela and a royal tomb which yielded 36 pottery vessels and numerous other artifacts. Leventhal plans to continue work but the intensity with which he can excavate at any one site depends on the amount of funds he can raise for the project.

Locale and Access
Nim Li Punit overlooks milpas (slash- and- burn gardens) and jungle. Women from Indian Creek village, in which the site is situated, use the streams which flow along the borders of the site to do their laundry.
The site is easily accessible from the Southern Highway, requiring only a half mile uphill trek in. Visitors en route for Punta Gorda can pause for a while at Nim Li Punit and its exotically sculpted monuments, taking in the tranquil lifestyle of the area.
The site is located off the Southern Highway 25 miles north of Punta Gorda town (mile 75) and is not accessible by public transport, but buses from Belize City run three times a week and pass by the site road. At the site there is a small thatched shelter for resting, but no other facilities.