A road construction crew in Belize has destroyed one of the country's largest ancient Mayan pyramids in order to extract materials for road fill, archaeologists in the Central American country reported.

According to local media, the sloping sides of the 2,300-year-old pyramid at the Noh Mul complex, near the northern town of Orange Walk close to the Mexican border, were bulldozed away. A local construction company is under investigation for destroying the pyramid for gravel.

With just the core of the ancient structure remaining, the pyramid's destruction has shocked experts in Belize.

Standing at 30 metres tall, the pyramid was once a ceremonial ground for the ancient Maya.

Made of hand-cut limestone bricks, material extracted from the pyramid is highly prized among local contractors building roads.

Belizean authorities detected the destruction of the pyramid last week and have frozen construction activity at the site. Although sitting on private land, pre-Hispanic ruins are protected under the law.