| Lamanai, located on the New River in Orange Walk District, is known for being the longest continually-occupied site in Mesoamerica.
The thriving crocodile population in the nearby New River lagoon gave Lamanai his Name. |
|
|
| Many of Lamanai’s main structures and excavated artifacts exhibits representate the famed reptile. Lamanai is the Spanish historic name for Lama’ an/ayin, which means “submerged crocodile.”
Some of Lamanai’s ruins are some of the oldest in Belize. Archaeologists believe the Mayan site was of moderate size as early as 1500 BC. However, some of its later structures were occupied as recently as the 18th century AD, signifying over 3200 years of occupation. |
||
