El Lagartero (English: The Lizard Hunter) is an archaeological zone of the pre-Hispanic

Mayan culture The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing ...

located on a group of jungle islands in the Lagos de Colón of the in the state of

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. In accordance with archaeological investigations, the site was developed between the years 300 AD to 1400, corresponding to the and the of Mesoamerica and constituted an important religious center of the region, its inhabitants were speakers of Jacalteco language. The site stands out for its natural landscapes with abundant vegetation surrounded by lakes and the architecture of its buildings. The main group is located on the island of El Limonal and contains a ceremonial center made up of four stepped pyramids. The rest of the ancient sites, including

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

causeways A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tr ...

patio A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun ...

s, stone structures and a

ball court The Mesoamerican ballgame (, , ) was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BC by the pre-Columbian people of Ancient Mesoamerica. The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a modernized ...

, are located scattered throughout the isles, which make up the place.

Location

It's located in the municipality of La Trinitaria in

, in Mexico, within a series of islands and insular areas of the Lagos de Colón and the Ciénega del Lagartero, the ceremonial center is built on the largest island, called El Limonal, and is made up of a plaza surrounded by four pyramids.

Discovery

Numerous burials, ceramics, figures with female representations that show the embroidery of the

huipil ''Huipil'' (Nahuatl: ''huīpīlli'' ; Ch'orti': ''b’ujk''; Chuj: ''nip'') is the most common traditional garment worn by indigenous women from central Mexico to Central America. It is a loose-fitting tunic, generally made from two or three ...

es and headdresses used by women of the time, objects of

jadeite Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral with composition Na Al Si2 O6. It is hard (Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.0), very tough, and dense, with a specific gravity of about 3.4. It is found in a wide range of colors, but is most often found in shades ...

, representations of aquatic animals and a complete stele that narrates a scene of conquest. Excavations have been taking place here regularly since 1993. It was in 2009 that a well-preserved stele was discovered here, which records the war between this city and a nearby city in the 11th century.

References

{{Reflist Maya sites Maya sites in Chiapas Former populated places in Mexico Maya Classic Period Maya sites that survived the end of the Classic Period Archaeological sites in Chiapas Tourist attractions in Chiapas