‘Land of the White Jaguar' discovered, archaeologists finally locate lost Maya rebel stronghold in southern Mexico

Economic Times

01-08-2025

Archaeologists identified the ancient Maya city of Sak-Bahlán, or 'Land of the White Jaguar,' deep in the jungle near Mexico's border with Guatemala, revealing a long-lost stronghold of Indigenous resistance
Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered what they believe to be the remains of Sak-Bahlán, or the 'Land of the White Jaguar,' a Maya rebel stronghold lost for over three centuries. The site served as a haven for the Lakandon-Ch'ol Maya, who resisted Spanish colonization after the fall of their capital Lacan-Tun in 1586.
Located deep in the jungle near the Jataté and Ixcán rivers, close to the present-day Mexico–Guatemala border, Sak-Bahlán is described as a political and cultural center where Maya rebels lived in relative autonomy for nearly 110 years. The site was subdued by Spanish forces following its rediscovery by Friar Pedro de la Concepción in 1695, renamed Nuestra Señora de Dolores, and eventually abandoned by 1721.
Also read: Archaeologists unearth 13th-century knight under ice cream parlour in PolandThe breakthrough in locating Sak-Bahlán was made possible by combining historical texts with modern geographic information system (GIS) analysis. Josuhé Lozada Toledo, an archaeologist with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), led the research effort using centuries-old Spanish colonial records.Lozada Toledo relied heavily on the writings of Spanish friar Diego de Rivas. A 1695 letter described Sak-Bahlán as being situated on a plain along a bend in the Lacantún River in Chiapas. In later notes dated 1698, de Rivas detailed a four-day walk from the stronghold to the Lacantún River, followed by a two-day canoe trip to where the Lacantún and Pasión rivers meet."By combining all these variables, I was able to … obtain an approximate range of where the Sak-Bahlán site could be located," Lozada Toledo said in a translated statement from INAH.
Factoring in terrain difficulty and the physical limits of carrying supplies, the team identified a likely area for the ruins. Subsequent fieldwork confirmed archaeological evidence consistent with 16th and 17th-century Maya occupation.Also read: Archaeologists discover 5,500-year-old 'Trapezoidal tombs' older than Egypt's PyramidsFollowing GIS mapping and historical research, archaeologists conducted two field seasons of excavation and survey work at the site. Located near the border with Guatemala, the site yielded structures, artifacts, and settlement patterns corresponding to the timeline of Maya resistance against the Spanish."It was the most arduous field trip I've ever had in my life, but in the end, we found the archaeological evidence, right at the spot I had marked," Lozada Toledo said.Researchers continue to investigate the site, testing materials and refining chronologies to confirm continuous occupation by the Lakandon-Ch'ol during the colonial era. Preliminary findings support the identification of the location as Sak-Bahlán, a major center of Maya resistance to Spanish colonial rule in southern Mexico.
Further details of the discovery will be published in the upcoming issue of the archaeological journal Chicomoztoc.