Altun Ha

Altun Ha's magnificent Temple of the Sun God.



Found on the outskirts of the Maya area, Altun Ha, which means "rockstone pond" in Yucatec Maya, is known for the fabulous jade that has turned up there. Dating to A.D. 550-600, the Temple of the Green Tomb earned its name after archeologists discovered nearly 300 jade objects sequestered within it. (The temple also contained a smashed codex or Maya book, whose paper had disintegrated but whose painted stucco surface remained in fragments.) The finest jade piece turned up in the Temple of the Masonry Altars, at over 58 feet the tallest structure at the site. In 1968, while archeologists excavated a tomb within the temple, they found a large, full-rounded sculpted head of Kinich Ahau, the sun god. Weighing almost ten pounds, it was the largest Maya carved jade object found until that time.



Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/maya/worl_sans3_01.html