7 th ▁century ▁AD . ▁During ▁the ▁Spanish ▁con quest ▁of ▁Y uc at án ▁Spanish ▁fri ars ▁established ▁two ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁churches ▁here , ▁but ▁a ▁May a ▁revol t ▁drove ▁the ▁Spanish ▁out . ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁subsequently ▁incorpor ated ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁in ▁British ▁H ond uras , ▁passing ▁with ▁that ▁col ony ' s ▁independence ▁to ▁Bel ize . ▁ ▁Site ▁description ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁remained ▁un ex c av ated ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Arch ae ological ▁work ▁has ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁investigation ▁and ▁rest oration ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁structures , ▁most ▁not ably ▁the ▁M ask ▁Temple , ▁J agu ar ▁Temple , ▁and ▁High ▁Temple . ▁The ▁sum mit ▁of ▁this ▁latter ▁structure ▁aff ords ▁a ▁view ▁across ▁the ▁surrounding ▁j ung le ▁to ▁a ▁nearby ▁l ago on , ▁part ▁of ▁New ▁River . ▁ ▁A ▁significant ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁of ▁the ▁J agu ar ▁M ask s ▁remains ▁under ▁grass y ▁earth ▁or ▁is ▁covered ▁in ▁dense ▁j ung le ▁growth . ▁Ful ly ▁exc av ated , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁significantly ▁t aller ▁than ▁the ▁High ▁Temple . ▁In ▁the ▁j agu ar ▁temple ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁legend ▁that ▁you ▁can ▁find ▁an ▁ancient ▁spe ar ▁called ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁j agu ar , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁temple ▁got ▁his ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁j agu ar ▁mask s ▁on ▁each ▁side . ▁ ▁The ▁May a ▁ru ins ▁of ▁Lam ana