Nim Li Punit

The Maya Ruins of Nim Li Punit are situated on a beautiful hilltop site near the village of Indian Creek, affording views of Belize, Guatemala, and the Caribbean. This site was only fairly recently discovered by oil prospectors in 1976, and has been well cleared and excavated to offer tourists beautiful grounds with a small, informative visitor’s center.

Nim Li Punit was inhabited from sometime in the middle Classic Period (AD 400 700) until around 900, and probably supported a population of around 6,000 at its peak. It is best known for the 26 stone stelae that were found there. Each stelae was carved with hieroglyphics and used to record important information such as alliances, wars and battles, and family trees. One stela depicts a ruler wearing a large headdress. This inspired the name Nim Li Punit, which means big hat in the Kekchi Maya language. Some of the best preserved stelae are set up in the visitor’s center with explanations. Others are still erect in a circular pattern in the Plaza of the Stelae’.

A ball court connects the Plaza of the Stelae with temples on the eastern part of the site. Archaeologists are still determining the exact rules of the ancient ball game, but they do know that players had to pass a heavy rubber ball through a ring without touching it with their hands. Additional structures of interest at Nim Li Punit include three opened tombs in which several members of the royal family were buried. Artifacts from the tombs are on display in the visitor’s center.