Naachtun Structure XXVII Pyramid (La Perdida)
Naachtun Pyramid XXVII · La Perdida Pyramid · Naachtun Structure 27
Early to Late Classic (Kaanul period)·Maya (Kaanul / Tikal sphere)·🇬🇹 Petén, Naachtun — Mirador Basin east of El Mirador, Kaanul frontier, Guatemala
About
About Naachtun Structure XXVII Pyramid (La Perdida)
Major Classic pyramid at Naachtun (Mirador Basin) — Structure XXVII (La Perdida complex) is a 32 m high Late Classic pyramid (c. 600–750 CE) atop Early Classic talud-tablero platform, with palace acropolis and 5 stelae plaza. Naachtun bridges Preclassic El Mirador and Classic Tikal–Calakmul wars (Kaanul sphere). Its pyramid was built over a Preclassic 10 m platform after 100 CE hiatus, showing continuity after Preclassic collapse. Excavated by Philippe Nondédéo (CNRS French-Guatemalan Project) 2010–2020 with lidar. Stelae show Calakmul and Tikal lords.
Why it mattersOnly Mirador Basin site with continuous Preclassic→Classic stratigraphy proving Basin reoccupation after 150 CE collapse; Calakmul–Tikal war stelae.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Which superpower controlled Naachtun when — Tikal vs Calakmul switch
- 02Why Structure XXVII layered
Theories
- 01Naachtun was Kaanul’s forward base against Tikal
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. 350–750 CE (Early to Late Classic over Preclassic platform 100 BCE)
- Period
- Early to Late Classic (Kaanul period)
- Culture
- Maya (Kaanul / Tikal sphere)
- Builders
- Lords of Naachtun under Calakmul
- Purpose
- Royal temple-pyramid and stela plaza
- Abandoned
- c. 950 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1922 (Morley) / excavated 2010 Nondédéo
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 350–750 CE (Early to Late Classic over Preclassic platform 100 BCE)
Initial construction
c. 1015 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
17.7989° N · 89.7344° W · 300 m · 3 mapped features
Structure XXVII pyramid
pyramid32 m pyramid atop Preclassic platform
17.7989° N · 89.7344° WStela plaza east
plaza5 stelae with Kaanul inscriptions
17.7987° N · 89.7340° WPreclassic platform below
platform10 m Preclassic talud platform under pyramid
17.7989° N · 89.7345° W
Gallery