Theperiodisation of the history of Belize is thedivision ofBelizean,Maya, andMesoamerican history into named blocks of time, spanning thearrival of Palaeoindians to the present time. Thepre-Columbian era is most often periodised byMayanists, who often employ four or five periods to discuss history prior to thearrival of Spaniards. The Columbian era is most often periodised by historians, and less often by Mayanists, who often employ at least four periods to discuss history up to the present time.

The Columbian era of Belizean history is most often divided into four periods, ie the Spanish, Precolonial, Colonial, and Sovereign, all preceded by a portion of the pre-Columbian Postclassic period extending past 1492. These are most often defined or characterised in terms of distinguishing events occurringbetween each period, ie events separating one period from another, and less often in terms of distinguishing events, trends, or milestones occurringwithin each period. Generally, there has been less attention paid to the periodisation of the Columbian era of Belizean history, as opposed to its pre-Columbian era, resulting in broad concordance between the upper and lower bounds employed for each period in scholarly literature.^{[citation needed]}

(see§ Pre-Columbian below)

The Spanish period is most often characterised as the time spanprior to the beginning or end of the Tipu rebellion, 6 June 1638 – 31 December 1643 (1638-06-06 –1643-12-31), or to the latest Tipureducción in 1 January – 31 December 1708 (1708-01-01 –1708-12-31).^{[1][citation needed]}

The Precolonial period is most often characterised as the time span runningto the date on which the British settlement in the Bay of Honduras was granted a colonial charter, ie 12 February 1862 (1862-02-12), or the date on which these letters patent were proclaimed, ie 12 May 1862 (1862-05-12).^[2]

The Colonial period is most often characterised as the time span runningto the passage of the Belize Act in UK Parliament, the Constitution Act in the Belizean Parliament, or the date on which said acts came into force, known as the day on which Belize gained sovereignty or independence from the UK, ie 21 September 1981 (1981-09-21).^{[citation needed]}

The Sovereign ie Independent period is most often characterised as the time span runningto the present.

Pre-Columbian Belizean, Maya, and Mesoamerican history is most often divided into five periods, ie the Palaeoindian, Archaic, Preclassic, Classic, and Postclassic. These are most often defined or characterised in terms of distinguishing events or trends occurringwithin each period, rather than events occurringbetween each period (ie events separating one period from another).^[8] As a result, though the aforementioned sequence is well-established, and despite each period's characterisation being broadly agreed upon, various discordant upper and lower bounds have been employed for each period in scholarly literature, resulting in temporal overlaps and gaps between chronologies. Additionally, the events or trends used to characterise these periods are now known to have occurred at different times in different geographic regions, sub-regions, and settlements, rather than all-at-once across theMaya Region or Mesoamerica.^[9] This further adds to the discordance between chronologies employed in scholarly literature, as increasingly localised upper and lower bounds for sub-regional geographic entities are used (in preference to fixed or standardised regional start and end dates).^{[note 13]}

The Preceramic period is most often characterised as the time spanprior to the first appearance of ceramics in the relevant geographic region.^{[citation needed]}

The Palaeoindian ie Lithic period is most often characterised as the time spanduring which humans first peopled the Americas.^[8] Itsstart is, furthermore, commonly dated to modern humans' first arrival in the relevant geographic region.^[10]

The Archaic period is most often characterised as the time spanduring which non-nomadic farming settlements first appeared in the relevant geographic region.^[11]

The Preclassic ie Formative period is most often characterised as the timespanduring which socioeconomically complex societies or states first appeared across the relevant geographic region.^[12] It was prior thought of as the period whichpreceded the Classic culmination or florescence of Maya civilisation, ie 'as a precursor to civilisation, but without the attributes of civilisation in its own right.'^[13]

The Classic period is most often characterised as the time spanduring which the social, economic, political, artistic, and intellectual development of societies or states across the relevant geographic region first peaked or culminated.^[14]

The Postclassic is most often characterised as the time spanduring which societies or states across the relevant geographic region underwent transformation or revival.^[15] It was prior thought of as the period whichfollowed the Classic culmination or florescence of Maya civilisation, ie 'as a decline from the Classic peak of civilisation, a time marked by decadence rather than [a Classic-like] era of continued development.'^[13]

Though the entire Palaeoindian-to-Postclassic time span is often characterised aspre-Columbian, the Postclassic is most often end datedafter 1492.^[16]

• Periodisation of Mesoamerican history

17°00′N88°42′W / 17°N 88.7°W /17; -88.7

• History of Belize by period
• Periodization
• Historical eras
• Periods and stages in archaeology

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