Ancient Maya City of Lamanai, Belize
Site History – Introduction

The ancient Maya site of Lamanai is located in northern Belize on the west bank of the New River Lagoon.  The excavation and project history offers detailed information about the recovery of information at Lamanai as well as details the current research and work.  More detailed information on the site history of Lamanai can also be found in the in this article.

Lamanai was mentioned in historical documents dating to 1582 and was subsequently visited and mentioned by Fathers Bartolome de Fuensalida and Juan de Orbita in 1618.  In 1641 upon their return to Lamanai they found the Maya had revolted and as a result they burned houses as well as the second church.  Thomas Gann carried out limited work at Lamanai in 1917, upon which time he trenched Structure N12-12 and recovered a multi-deity crocodilian figurine.  Eric Thompson made a brief stop at Lamanai before he began his work at San Jose, and in 1967 Thomas Lee recorded information about a small surface collection of Late Postclassic Tulum-related sherds.  But it was in 1974 that the first large-scale excavations took place under the direction of David Pendergast  of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Review Lamanai Structure & Activity Areas Chronologically:       

-- Preclassic         -- Classic         -- Postclassic         -- Spanish Colonial

Lamanai's Ballcourt

Review Lamanai Information by Function, Use  & Activity Area

        -- Residential – Administrative – Households

        -- Ceremonial – Religious – Rituals

        -- Burials – Tombs – Caches

Review Lamanai Information by the Order You'll see the Ruins when you visit:

        -- Structure N9 – 56, Mask Temple

        -- Structure N10-43, High Temple

        -- Structures N10-40 & 41, Ball Court

        -- Structure N10-27, Stela 9

        -- Elite Residential Area

        -- Structure N10-9, Jaguar Temple

        -- 19th Century British Sugar Mill

        -- 16th & 17th Century Spanish Churches