SANTA RITA ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

Like other coastal sites in the Maya world, its history seems to have flourished during the Early Classic period (4th^century ), before coming to a halt and then reviving between 1300 and 1500 AD, the same period as other Maya coastal ports on the Yucatán coast. The now-destroyed frescoes copied by early explorers indicate a clear Mixtec influence. This was the site of ancient Chetumal, an important trading port described by the Spanish conquerors, and on which the town of Corozal was built.