at Day Lucky Mound Tiger A tidal flat settlements off the coast of Belize yields evidence that flourished long after the inland By Lawrence decades, major inland cities such as Tikal and Copán have been the focus of intensive research. As obvious commercial, political, and For population centers, these cities are highly visible in the archaeological record. But our recent work has revealed the presence of dozens of sites on the cays and along the coast of Belize's southern Toledo district. of Maya trading cities collapsed. J. Jackson The continuous occupation of these sites into the Postclassic period (a.d. 900-1400) raises the distinct possibility that the coastal communities did not experience the collapse suffered by the inland Maya cities. We found the first evidence of this at Wild Cane Cay, a coastal site we have been investigating for the past ten years. A major trading station that served i I 8 Ì Badly eroded and surrounded by tidal mud, Tiger Mound was once a thriving Maya trading community. 60 A RCHAEOLOGY