Results of the Archaeological Survey

_______The results of the preliminary archaeological survey fall into two realms: the extent of major monumental public architecture and the distribution of residential settlement. The sketch map of La Milpa (Figure 4) and the settlement survey grids (Figure 5 and 6) provide the quantitative basis for comparing the Rio Bravo Conservation Area with other areas of the central Maya lowlands.

_______The Rio Bravo Conservation Area is situated between Northern Belize, one of the first Maya areas to become settled, and the core area, one of the last to be settled. The Conservation Area is topographically very diverse, including all major landforms found in the Maya lowlands (compare Table 3 and Figure 3). This area has a relatively large proportion of well-drained uplands, those resources were favored for ancient Maya occupation. These lands are predominantly located in the western section, where the major center of La Milpa (possibly La Milpa [Thompson 1939]) had been reported by Thompson in the 1930's. Aside from the obvious visits by looter's, reported site visits have occurred at infrequent intervals since Thompson's time: one visit by archaeologists David Pendergast and Stan Loten in 1974, several visits in the 70's and 80's by Bill Wildman of Consejo Shores, and by Logan McNatt of the Belize Department of Archaeology in 1984. Due to the inaccessibility of the area until very recently, no major archaeological studies have been undertaken.

The Major Center of La Milpa

_______Prior to the initiation of this preliminary archaeological survey, there had been no mapped location or site map for the major center of La Milpa. Since the efforts of the Programme for Belize to make the site accessible, fly-overs have been able to position accurately the site on a promontory above a drainage running north towards Blue Creek and the Rio Hondo. The monumental public architecture of the center covers from 32-40 hectares (80-98 acres) and includes at least 18 plazas and 60 major structures, many estimated to be between 18 and 25 meters in height (see Figure 4).

_______La Milpa is a Classic Maya center of the highest size and rank, comparable to many centers in the core area. Considering the number of plazas, La Milpa is on a par with major centers around Tikal, including Yaxha and Uaxactun. Of its know near neighbors in the eastern periphery, it covers twice the area of El Pilar, in the upper Belize River area. When fully surveyed, La Milpa will probably be a rival to Caracol, far to the south in the Maya mountains.

_______While there has been no bona fide archaeological research at La Milpa as of our brief visit in 1988, there has been a tremendous amount of illegal excavations identified by looter's trenches. We recorded 41 looter's trenches among the ruins of La Milpa. Considering the size and extent of this center, there are fewer trenches than at the center of El Pilar, to the south, which has more than 60 looter's trenches. The heavier looting at El Pilar is probably due to its accessible location just off an all-weather road servicing two agricultural cooperatives north of the center. La Milpa has been relatively inaccessible until recently, when Mr. Barry Bowen reestablished the Gallon Jug road. It is important to indicate that, while there are fewer trenches counted at La Milpa than at the center of El Pilar, many of the trenches are much larger and deeper. Some of these trenches are so deep that they penetrate major structures in such a way as to seriously affect their stability.

_______Investigations within some of the looter's trenches and in their backdirt piles revealed sherds representative of periods beginning c. 250 B.C. in the Late Preclassic through c. A.D. 900 in the Late Classic Period (see Table 1). Included among the observed sherds was one diagnostic of the Early Classic style of Teotihuacan, in central Mexico. This period is particularly elusive outside the Tikal core area within the eastern periphery of the Maya lowlands, including the upper Belize River area and Northern Belize.

_______In sum, the center of La Milpa must be included as one of the major centers of the Maya lowlands. It is likely one of the largest centers of the area, equal to, if not larger than, its distant neighbors of Rio Azul, Lamanai, and Nohmul. Sitting as it is surrounded by an expanse of well-drained uplands, La Milpa would have been associated with dense settlement and intensive agricultural production.