Lagartero Secondary Group
Lagartero Chiapas South Group · Lagartero Lakamulpán
Late Preclassic to Late Classic 400 BCE–900 CE, peak 600–850 CE·Maya (Comitán Lakes, Late Classic Lacandon fringe)·🇲🇽 Chiapas, La Trinitaria Municipality, Mexico
About
About Lagartero Secondary Group
Lake city on Lagartero chain of karst lakes at Chiapas-Guatemala border: temples and ballcourt on islets linked by stone causeway 300 m to lakeshore palace, with hundreds of incensarios (Lakamulpán style censers). Occupied from Late Preclassic to Late Classic, then pilgrimage incense production until Postclassic. BYU-INAH excavations documented causeway and islet temples under lake.
Why it mattersRare Maya lake-islet causeway city linking Highland Chiapas to Usumacinta lowlands via Comitán lakes portage.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How causeway was built over 5 m deep karst lake
- 02Why incense burner production continued after city abandonment
Theories
- 01Lake shrine controlling Comitán lakes pilgrimage route
- 02Fishing-and-censer economy trading incense to highlands
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.400 BCE–900 CE (Late Preclassic to Late Classic)
- Period
- Late Preclassic to Late Classic 400 BCE–900 CE, peak 600–850 CE
- Culture
- Maya (Comitán Lakes, Late Classic Lacandon fringe)
- Builders
- Maya
- Purpose
- Lake-islet temple city on Cadena lakes with causeway to shore, pilgrimage and fishing economy, incense burner workshops
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.400 BCE–900 CE (Late Preclassic to Late Classic)
Initial construction
850 CE
Major occupation / refurbishment
On the ground
Structures & features
15.9050° N · 91.8860° W · 540 m · 2 mapped features
Islet temples and ballcourt
temple12 m temples and ballcourt on central lake islet
15.9060° N · 91.8850° WStone causeway to lakeshore
causeway300 m causeway linking islet city to lakeshore palace
15.9040° N · 91.8870° W