'Lamanai' (from ''Lama'an Ai'', "submerged crocodile" in
Yucatec Maya) is a
Mesoamerican
archaeological site, and was once a considerably sized city of the
Maya civilization, located in the north of
Belize, in
Orange Walk District. The site's name is
pre-Columbian, recorded by early
Spanish missionaries, and documented over a millennium earlier in
Maya inscriptions as '''Lam'an'ain'''.
History
Lamanai was occupied as early as the
16th century BC. The site reached its greatest importance in the
Pre-Classic Period, from the
4th century BC through the
1st century AD, but also has later structures and continued to be occupied up to the
17th century AD. During the
Spanish conquest of Yucatán the
Conquistadores established a
Roman Catholic church here, but a native
Maya revolt drove the Spanish away from this area.
Site description
The vast majority of the site remained unexcavated until the mid-
1970s. Archaeological work has concentrated on the investigation and restoration of the larger structures, most notably the
Mask Temple,
Structure N10-9 ("Temple of the Jaguar Masks") and
High Temple. The summit of this latter structure affords a view across the surrounding jungle to a nearby lagoon, part of
New River.
A significant portion of the Temple of the Jaguar Masks remains under grassy earth or is covered in dense jungle growth. Unexcavated, it would be significantly taller than the High Temple.
Archaeological investigations
The first detailed description of the ruins was made in
1917 by
Thomas Gann. Archeological excavations at the site began in
1974 under
David M. Pendergast of the
Royal Ontario Museum, which continued through
1988. Further excavations and restoration work is being conducted
as of 2004. The ruins are being excavated by a team from the nearby villages of
Indian Church and
San Carlos.
Modern site and tourism
Lamanai is accessible to
tourists by organised day boat trips from
Orange Walk Town along New River.
Gallery
See also
★
Laman
★
Lamanite
External links
★
Lamanai on mayaruins.com
★
Lamanai Archaeological Project (LAP)
★
Lamanai on beyondtouring.com
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