Lamanai

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This article is part of the Maya ruins of Belize series

Altun Ha
Cahal Pech
Caracol
Cerros
El Pilar
Lamanai
Louisville
Lubaantun
Nim Li Punit
Santa Rita
Xunantunich

Lamanai (from Lama'an Ai, "submerged crocodile" in Yukatek 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.

1 History
2 Site description
3 Archaeological investigations
4 Modern site and tourism
5 Gallery
6 See also
7 External links

Lamanai was occupied as early as the 16th century BC.^{[citation needed]} 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.

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.

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.

Lamanai is accessible to tourists by organised day boat trips from Orange Walk Town along New River.

Mask Temple - Lamanai	Detail of carving on right-hand (facing temple) wall of Mask Temple. A similarly-sized panel on the left-hand side is covered up for its protection.	5' 8" tall person in front of Mask Temple wall, for perspective.	High Temple, Lamanai
Detail from front wall (right side facing front) of the High Temple. Heavily eroded.	View from the top of the High Temple, to illustrate height.	Temple of the Jaguar Masks	Temple of the Jaguar Masks - detail of what is believed to be a jaguar head, left-hand side of temple (when facing its front).