Archaeologists find signs in Belize that climate change and migration are inexorably intertwined.
There’s no denying it: Strange and sometimes catastrophic weather experienced around the globe is making a solid case for climate change. While Central America has stayed out of the news as headlines focus on diminishing Polar ice caps and catastrophic melting in Greenland, breaking news from Belize is just beginning to grab the world’s attention: Archaeologists are proving that migration and climate change go together.
What exactly has grabbed the attention of climatologists, archaeologists, and historians? New Belize digs that have unearthed some of this hemisphere’s earliest tools, each of which contributes to a growing body of research that Mesoamericans experienced climate change that leads to southern migration patterns. In fact, a close collaboration between project social scientists and local Maya communities (whose ancestors created these tools many centuries ago) is one of the most interesting aspects of this project.
According to the publication Science Daily, University of New Mexico (UNM) teams, working in Belize’s Bladen Nature Reserve, recently found “some of the earliest stone tools ever used in southern Mesoamerica.” These tools are evidence that “waves of immigrants” from the north, responding to ice age encroachment, fled south around 13,000 years ago, bringing with them stone tools necessary to help them adapt to warmer surroundings.
“Popular Archaeology” editors were so impressed by this news, details, and photos of students working on the Belize dig were featured on the front page of their September 2019 issue. They quote dig principle, UNM Anthropology Professor Keith Prufer, with saying that “This is an area of research for which we have very poor data regarding early humans.” This project is likely to add substantive evidence to that void.
What contemporary lessons can we learn from this project’s ongoing discoveries? That human beings are amazingly adaptable. When climate change made inhabited areas unlivable, people were clever and creative enough to see the signs, adapt their lifestyles and undertake migrations that were likely arduous and dangerous. But the will to survive proved stronger than changing weather patterns.
If your interest is piqued by this fascinating project and you’re interested in seeing why Belize is fast becoming a leader in Western Hemisphere archaeological research, you’ll need accommodations to sustain you during your own investigative journey. Chabil Mar not only offers luxurious lodgings, a gourmet onsite restaurant and Belize vacation packages, but as the only full-service resort on the Placencia Peninsula, guests can arrange for archaeological tours guaranteed to satisfy everyone’s curiosity.
Shoulder season rates remain in effect until December 19th, so you may even save money while you delve into the past. As news of these discoveries spread, Belize anticipates a tourism spike, so you’re advised to book your villa as early as possible in order to see for yourself what the scientific world is talking about!
Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.
