ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a complete synthesis of what people know about Preclassic occupation of Yaxha and Nakum, two of the most important ancient sites of eastern Peten. It tackles head-on the questions of Preclassic identity and systemic inter-group conflict. The book describes the long history of occupation of inland southern Toledo District, Belize, an archaeological area commonly called the Southern Belize Region (SBR). It reviews quite fascinating and very recent work conducted by the author's friends Keith Prufer, Douglas Kennett, and their colleagues concerning the earliest evidence of a human presence in the SBR. The book what people know about the period of permanent occupation within the SBR, which began at the dawn of the Early Classic period.
