Cuello

Located on private land, permission is needed to visit this ancient site, a minor ceremonial center and settlement area about 4 miles southwest of Orange Walk Town. Although not well developed for visitors, Cuello is one of the most exciting recent discoveries in the Mayan world. Before the exploration of this site in 1973 by Cambridge University, most experts believed the Mayan civilization had its start around 1500 B.C., which was the earliest date of any previously known settlement . Applying state-of-the-art carbon dating techniques to ancient maize fragments and wooden posts, it was determined that occupation by the Maya began here around 2600 B.C., possibly even earlier. Thus, the "start date" of the civilization was pushed back by a full millennium.