The Temple of Masonry Altar at Altun Ha
Altun Ha was discovered in 1963 and excavation began in 1964 and continued until 1970. At the time it was the largest-scale and longest-term excavation ever carried out in Belize. The most important finds were within the main temple, The Temple of Masonry Altar, which rises 60 feet above the plaza. They found seven tombs, but it was the tomb of an elderly priest, the oldest and the last discovered that was the most interesting. In this tomb, the impressive jade head representing the sun god, Kinich Ahau, was discovered by Dr. David Pendergast. This head is the largest Mayan jade artifact discovered to date (six inches high and 9 3/4 pounds) and is now the national symbol of Belize and seen on the corner of every Belizean banknote. The main temple appears in one of the scenes in the Harrison Ford Movie, Mosquito Coast.

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