Nim Li Punit

Nim Li Punit sits on a ridge above the Southern Highway and its distinction is its stelae: twenty-six have been found, eight of them carved, and Stela 14 stands over nine metres, among the tallest known anywhere in the Maya world. The name means big hat in Kekchi, after the headdress worn by a figure on one of them. A tomb excavated in 2015 contained a jade pendant carved with a long hieroglyphic text.

Background

Between the 5th and 8th centuries AD the city flourished as a medium-sized Classic Period centre beside the village of Indian Creek, with the Maya Mountains on its western side and, to the east, lowland swamps and then the Caribbean Sea. Its buildings stand around three plazas and include several step-pyramids, the tallest reaching 11 meters. Dates carved on at least six stelae show activity from 721 to 790 AD, and the Late Classic peak population is put at 5000 to 7000 people. Trade in goods such as obsidian, along with fertile soils, supported it, but the city was abandoned quite suddenly in the 9th century AD. Archaeologists began work in 1976, though local people already knew the site.

Source: Wikipedia, "Nim Li Punit"

What you'll find

• Stela 14 - a carved monument over nine metres tall, among the largest known.
• The stelae plaza - the group of monuments the site is built around.
• The tomb - the burial that produced the inscribed jade pendant.
• The ridge setting - the site on high ground above the Southern Highway.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. Toledo is wet in any month. The site keeps daily hours with a visitor centre.

What to expect

The site is small and takes ninety minutes. The most important find, the jade pendant, is not displayed here. Some stelae are weathered and hard to read.

Nearby

Lubaantun is southwest, and Punta Gorda is south.

Key facts