The Belize Maya site occupied from about 1500 BC until the 17th century AD was Lamanai.
Lamanai stands beside the New River Lagoon in northern Belize’s Orange Walk District. Its name derives from a Yucatec Maya expression usually translated as “submerged crocodile,” a fitting reference to the site’s watery setting and local environment.
Archaeological evidence places occupation there as early as the 16th century BC, during the Early Preclassic period. Unlike many southern lowland Maya centers that declined sharply around the end of the Classic period, Lamanai remained active into the Postclassic era and continued through early Spanish colonial encounters, with occupation lasting into the 17th century.
Its location supported canoe travel and long-distance trade. Excavations have uncovered abundant copper objects, including bells, rings, ornaments, and tools, as well as monumental temples such as the Mask Temple and High Temple. Xunantunich, Altun Ha, and Caracol are also major Belize Maya sites, but they do not match this unusually long occupation span.