El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna

El Pilar is unique in that it is a system linked together east and west, thereby uniting one ancient Maya center in two modern nations: Guatemala and Belize. El Pilar is not merely a pyramid or a site. It is a whole region used by a community, and its size and composition suggest that it was directly related to farmland. The area was first mapped in 1983 by archaeologist Anabel Ford while studying settlement patterns in the region. Ten years later, a more in-depth study and examination of El Pilar began with state-of-the-art engineering survey instruments and excavations detailing access ways, stairs, and doorways.
El Pilar means pillar or watering basin and indeed, u’un was mapped and tested. This led to a major excavation, that exposed and consolidated a unique Maya house. This unique archaeological find is the only house of its kind to which the public has access today. Later, Ford’s team worked with Master Maya Forest Gardeners to develop a forest garden around the house site. These gardens are presently maintained by the Maya farmers as part of the El Pilar Forest Garden Network.

Conservation

The site is open to the public. Here visitors can experience both ancient and contemporary aspects of Maya life, promoting Maya culture in the area. It is the hope that El Pilar of Belize and Guatemala can be the first archaeological Peace Park in the world. This site is protected, in both Belize and Guatemala, with rangers on site. Nevertheless, it is under constant threat of looters, and, in 1996 was placed on the World Monument Fund’s list of endangered sites in the world. There is currently a conservation strategy in place called Archaeology Under the Canopy, to promote keeping these ancient monuments in their natural state.