El Tamarindo is an unexcavated Mayan site situated next to the New River Lagoon near Lamanai in Northern Belize. This site is largely unexplored and unexcavated by archaeologists. However, it nearly never evenhad the chance to be.
The Maya Research Program (MRP) purchased the 83.6 acres of land along the lagoon and El Tamarindo was a part of the land purchased. This is only a part of a series of land purchases made by MRP in an effort to shelter and conserve ecology as well as invaluable archaeological treasures that otherwise would soon be lost or destroyed as developers clear land for agricultural purposes.
In an article with popular-archaeology.com, Colleen Hanratty of MRP said “We intend to conserve the site and it’s environment for future data recovery. There are easily at least a dozen plus large structures on site (8-10 m tall), and we expect to identify numerous more once we survey the property completely, including within the [jungle] canopy that has not been impacted as severely. Our greatest concern is to prevent its destruction, as it was in imminent danger.”
