Archaeologists say they may have uncovered the ruins of Sak-Bahlán, a centuries-old Maya stronghold in southern Mexico that sheltered indigenous rebels resisting Spanish rule for over 100 years.
Known as the “Land of the White Jaguar,” Sak-Bahlán was home to the Lakandon-Ch’ol people, remembered as the last Maya group to oppose Spanish conquest in what is now Chiapas state. Its exact location remained unknown for centuries despite being mentioned in colonial records.
Hidden city after the Spanish conquest
The Lakandon-Ch’ol retreated into the jungle after Spanish forces seized their capital, Lacan-Tun—“Great Rock”—in 1586. There, they founded Sak-Bahlán, which remained hidden for nearly 110 years. In 1695, an expedition led by Friar Pedro de la Concepción settled in the area.
Spanish troops soon subdued the stronghold and renamed it Nuestra Señora de Dolores, or “Our Lady of Sorrows.” By 1721, the city was abandoned. Over time, its location faded from memory, surviving only in letters and reports from the colonial period, slowly fading into legend and myth.
Rediscovery through records and technology
Researchers now believe they have identified the site after combining historical accounts with geographic information system (GIS) technology. The project was led by archaeologist Josuhé Lozada Toledo of Mexico City’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Lozada Toledo relied on 17th-century writings by Spanish friar Diego de Rivas to narrow the search. A 1695 letter described Sak-Bahlán on a plain beside a bend in the Lacantún River. Notes from 1698 detailed a four-day march from the settlement to the river, followed by a two-day canoe trip to the confluence of the Lacantún and Pasión rivers.
Factoring in rugged terrain and the loads travelers likely carried, Lozada Toledo recalculated the distances described by de Rivas. “By combining all these variables, I was able to … obtain an approximate range of where the Sak-Bahlán site could be located,” he said in a translated statement from INAH.
Archaeological evidence emerges
The analysis led archaeologists to the Jataté and Ixcán rivers, near the modern border of Mexico and Guatemala. Excavations there revealed remains consistent with the long-lost city. “It was the most arduous field trip I’ve ever had in my life,” Lozada Toledo said. “But in the end, we found the archaeological evidence, right at the spot I had marked.”
Teams have completed two field seasons mapping the site, excavating key areas, and conducting tests to determine when it was occupied. Further work is planned, and detailed findings will appear in the next issue of the journal Chicomoztoc.
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