Lacanha or Lacanja (also known as Lacanjá-Kuná) is

Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...

archaeological site located on the bank of the Lacanjá river inside the

Lacandon Jungle The Lacandon Jungle ( Spanish: ''Selva Lacandona'') is an area of rainforest which stretches from Chiapas, Mexico, into Guatemala. The heart of this rainforest is located in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas near the border with Gu ...

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 ...

. It was an important Mayan city from the classic period with its own emblem glyph. The site has had very few archeological investigations, the most notable buildings include temples, pyramids and a plaza covered in thick jungle. The rest of the site includes a big acropolis buried in the jungle. It is commonly referred to as "The

lost city In the popular imagination, a lost city is a real, once-prosperous and well-populated area of human habitation that fell into terminal decline and whose location was later forgotten. Lost City, The Lost City, or Lost Cities may also refer to: Pl ...

of Lacanja" due to its remote and hard to reach location in the middle of the jungle. The temples of Lacanha are used by the

Lacandon people The Lacandon are one of the Maya peoples who live in the jungles of the Mexican state of Chiapas, near the southern border with Guatemala. Their homeland, the Lacandon Jungle, lies along the Mexican side of the Usumacinta River and its tributar ...

as a ceremonial site.

History

Lacanha developed itself in the early classic period to the late classic along other sites from the Usumacinta Basin like Bonampak. This region was the scene of great wars and conquests by states of greater power, in particular, Lacanha was conquered by the city of

Yaxchilan Yaxchilan () is an ancient Maya city located on the bank of the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. In the Late Classic Period Yaxchilan was one of the most powerful Maya states along the course of the Usumacinta River, with Pied ...

. In the stela 18 of Yaxchilan is despicted Aj Popol Chay, a lord from Lacanhá being captured by the ruler of Yaxchilan, Itzamnaah Kokaaj B’ahlam II.

References

{{Maya sites Maya sites Maya sites in Chiapas Maya sites in Mexico Former populated places in Mexico Maya Classic Period Archaeological sites in Chiapas