HUNACTI, MEXICO—The Maya town of Hunacti was established by the Spanish in 1552 as a mission site for Indigenous communities in northern Yucatán. While inhabited by locals, on the surface it reflected Spanish colonial architectural ideals, with gridded streets, European-style houses, a central plaza, and a large church. However, according to a statement released by SUNY Albany, research at the site reveals a much more complex tale about resistance and the resilience of Maya cultural traditions. At least initially, the town’s founding leaders seem to have cooperated with the Spanish and even enjoyed privileges rare for Maya elites under early colonial rule. But historical sources record that some soon faced persecution by church authorities during a campaign that targeted Maya chiefs for continuing conventional religious rites. Excavations in some of the elite residences and the church unearthed ceramic incense burners with faces representing ancient Maya deities. The site also contains very few metal tools or European goods that are usually found at contemporary mission towns, suggesting that the town’s residents had little engagement with colonial trade networks and likely resisted Spanish rule. “Success in this context isn’t just about wealth or imported goods,” said SUNY Albany archaeologist Marilyn A. Masson. “It’s also about sustaining your own traditions and making your own decisions, even under intense outside pressure.” Hunacti was abandoned after just 15 years, when a famine struck the area in 1572 and the town's residents likely relocated to nearby Tixmehuac. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Latin American Antiquity. To read about murals discovered in Guatemala that combine Indigenous and Spanish colonial traditions, go to "Dancing Days of the Maya."
