Barton Creek Cave
Barton Creek Cave
Barton Creek Cave
Barton Creek Cave is located in Belize
Barton Creek Cave
location in Belize
LocationBarton Creek, near San Ignacio, Cayo District
RegionBelize
Coordinates17°6′46″N 88°55′41″W / 17.11278°N 88.92806°W / 17.11278; -88.92806
Cave interior

Barton Creek Cave is a natural cave in Belize, known as both an archaeological site and as a tourist destination. It is located in the upper Barton Creek area near San Ignacio in the Cayo District.

Description

Barton Creek Cave is a primarily single-passage resurging stream cave. By 2002 a cave survey had been completed by the Western Belize Regional Cave Project, recording a total of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) of passages; dye traces at sinking streams above the cave indicated that there could be a further 6 km (3.7 mi) of cave passages beyond the terminal sumps. By 2005 the Xibalba Mapping and Exploration Team had extended the survey to 8 km (5.0 mi).

Archaeology

Extensive looting of artifacts occurred soon after the cave was first reported, but it remains an important site for archaeologists. Evidence of cave use by the Maya exists on ten ledges within the first kilometer of cave passage. Pottery shards indicate use between the Early Classic (200 to 600 CE) to the Late Classic (600 to 900 CE) periods. The remains of at least 28 humans have been found within the cave.

References

  • Larson, David and Eleanor. Multiyear Project to Map Caves for the Belize Department of Archaeology, 2002 NSS Convention
  • Larson et al. "Report on Multiyear Project to Map and Photograph Caves for the Belize Institute of Archaeology", 14th International Congress of Speleology


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