Tiho’witz and the Rural Landscape: Evidence of Planned Quincunx Architecture in a Single-Period Late Classic Maya Site

Abstract

Abstract In 2022, a lidar survey of the Three Rivers Region, conducted by the Belize Estates Archaeology Survey Team, identified multiple previously unrecorded sites, including Tiho’witz, located between and atop five hills ranging in height from 7 m to 18 m. Our 2023 ground truthing and preliminary excavations suggest that Tiho’witz is a single-period site purposely constructed with a quincunx layout during the Late Classic period. In this report, I discuss the site’s structures and main features, our initial excavation results, and the possible implications of the site’s quincunx layout.