# Maya city Minanbé found in Campeche: 37 acres, a 43-foot pyramid and a ruler named Suutz’

- Published: 2026-11-10 22:27 UTC
- Section: Science › Research
- Tags: Maya city, Minanbé, Sakil, Campeche, Late Classic Maya, Maya hieroglyphs, Suutz', Ocomtún, Calakmul, Maya archaeology
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-b0e05c9c5f812129a673f804_maya_city_minanb/

**Archaeologists in Mexico’s Campeche state found a Late Classic Maya settlement, probably called Sakil, with inscriptions on 14 pillars and altars about a conflict with Ocomtún.**

![Maya city Minanbé found in Campeche: 37 acres, a 43-foot pyramid and a ruler named Suutz’](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/707511e2cd1b26e3.webp)
*Popular Science*

Archaeologists have described a Late Classic Maya settlement in the tropical forests of Campeche, a Mexican state on the border with Guatemala, Popular Science reports. The site, about 37 acres in size, was discovered in May 2026 [1]. It is so hard to reach that researchers nicknamed it Minanbé, which means "there is no road" in Yucatec Maya. Building remains there date back at least 1,100 years [1].

## Buildings and the name of the city

The settlement lies north of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Surviving structures include religious facilities, palace buildings, plazas, water-management systems and a pyramid nearly 43 feet tall [1]. Hieroglyphic translations by Octavio Esparza Olguín, an archaeologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, suggest that the residents called their settlement Sakil, a Maya term related to "whiteness" [1].

Beyond the architecture, the team examined 14 pillars and altars bearing carved texts and images. Their inscriptions are the main source of new details about the city's history.

## Inscriptions: a conflict and a ruler

The hieroglyphs record a violent conflict between Sakil and another Maya center, Ocomtún [1]. The relief on one monument shows a captive lying on his stomach with his wrists tied and his head turned sideways. Nearby inscriptions state that he was once a resident of Minanbé [1].

Hieroglyphs on other pillars commemorate a regional ruler, a kalo'mte', named Suutz', which means "bat" in Yucatec Maya. The associated imagery shows a ruler in decorative clothing, sandals and a detailed headdress. Based on this and other inscriptions, Esparza Olguín and his colleagues believe Suutz' was a powerful chief who held considerable authority over Sakil's residents [1].

The finds point to a conflict between Sakil and Ocomtún, but it remains unclear whether it took place during Suutz' reign. The excavations have produced a good deal of information in a short time. The team hopes that further work will clarify the history of the settlement and its residents' relationship to the world around them [1].

## Sources

1. [Popular Science](https://www.popsci.com/science/mayan-chieftain-bat-archaeology-mexico)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-b0e05c9c5f812129a673f804_maya_city_minanb/