Day Seven

Solitude in the Ruins
You know you're an archaeologist when abandoned ruins can cheer you up.

The Castillo is the tallest pyramid at Xunantunich and still one of the tallest buildings in modern-day Belize.

I have to admit I started the day in a bad mood. Some of our plans for the week that I'd worked hard to set up were falling through, and when I called home I found out my kids are both sick.

Frustrated, I decided to head off by myself. I rented a rusty, dented bike at a local hotel. It was a pleasant ride over rolling, lush hills towards the Maya city of Xunantunich. To get to Xunantunich, you cross the 60-foot-wide Mopan River on an antique wooden ferry.

Once in the ruins, I felt the same thrill of discovery I always find among the rubble of the past. Xunantunich was once a bustling town of 10,000 that thrived for over 300 years before collapsing around A.D. 1000.

	For archaeologists, empty ruins can speak volumes about the people who once lived there. They can be a magical, peaceful place, especially when you're all alone.

Around A.D. 850, life here started to go downhill. Naranjo, Xunantunich's main ally and trading partner to the west, collapsed along with Caracol and other nearby Maya cities. It seems that the city's people grew disenchanted with the ruling elite. Was there a rebellion?

I looked out from the top of the ruins onto the jungle canopy below and realized I was alone and free to dream. When I closed my eyes I could almost see the last Maya of Xunantunich walking away.

Diggin' it,

- John Fox

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