Underwater Mayan structures unearthed in southern Belize

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare set of underwater Mayan structures in the south of Belize. The discovery was made at the Ta’ab Nuk Na, the largest salt works site in Paynes Creek National Park in the Toledo District. The find included large residential buildings along with three salt kitchens submerged in the coastal lagoon. In the area also had hundreds of wooden posts that define the walls of Classic Maya ‘pole and thatch’ wooden buildings. Several of the buildings were dated to the 6th century C.E. during the Late Classic Maya era. According to researchers, the ancient community focused on salt production could have provided enough salt for 24,000 people, at that time.