ate c ▁May a ) ▁is ▁a ▁Mes o amer ican ▁arch ae ological ▁site , ▁and ▁was ▁once ▁a ▁major ▁city ▁of ▁the ▁May a ▁civil ization , ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Bel ize , ▁in ▁Orange ▁Walk ▁District . ▁The ▁site ' s ▁name ▁is ▁pre - Col umb ian , ▁recorded ▁by ▁early ▁Spanish ▁mission aries , ▁and ▁documented ▁over ▁a ▁mill en ni um ▁earlier ▁in ▁May a ▁ins cri ptions ▁as ▁Lam ' an ' ain . ▁Lam ana i ▁is ▁ren owned ▁for ▁its ▁exception ally ▁long ▁occupation ▁sp anning ▁three ▁mill enn ia , ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁Early ▁Pre class ic ▁May a ▁period ▁and ▁continu ing ▁through ▁the ▁Spanish ▁and ▁British ▁Col onial ▁periods , ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Un like ▁most ▁Classic - period ▁sites ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁May a ▁low lands , ▁Lam ana i ▁was ▁not ▁abandoned ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁AD . ▁ ▁History ▁Lam ana i ▁was ▁occupied ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁BC . ▁The ▁site ▁became ▁a ▁prominent ▁centre ▁in ▁the ▁Pre - Class ic ▁Period , ▁from ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁BC ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁CE . ▁In ▁ 6 2 5 ▁CE , ▁" Ste le ▁ 9 " ▁was ▁ere cted ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁Y uc ate c ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁May a . ▁Lam ana i ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁occupied ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁ 1