Scientists have identified the lost Mayan city of Sac Balam where the Lakandon Chʼol resisted Spanish colonization for over a century. After fleeing their capital in the late 1500s, the Mayans retreated to build a new stronghold deep in the jungle by the Guatemalan border. Groundbreaking predictive modeling techniques were utilized to locate this site based on historical accounts, particularly from a friar who documented his travels in the region. The terrain's ruggedness and wilderness contributed to the Mayans' resistance against the Spanish until 1695, when the city was ultimately lost to the jungle.
"I discovered the possible location of Sak Bahlán through a predictive model using Geographic Information Systems."
"In this way, I was able to predict the location of this important site."
"The location deep in the jungle... allowed the Lakandon Chʼol to hide from the Spanish conquerors."
"It is very remote, situated in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, in the Chaquistero range."
#mayan-civilization #sac-balam #spanish-conquest #geographic-information-systems #historical-archaeology
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