 South Group at La Blanca | |
  Location of the site  La Blanca, Peten (Guatemala) | |
| Location | Melchor de Mencos, Petén Department, Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 16°54′13″N 89°26′32″W / 16.90361°N 89.44222°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Late Classic to Early Postclassic |
| Cultures | Maya civilization |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Cristina Vidal Lorenzo, Gaspar Muñoz Cosme |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Classic Maya |
| Responsible body: IDAEH | |
La Blanca is a Maya pre-Columbian Mesoamerican archaeological site in the municipality of Melchor de Mencos in the northern Petén Department of Guatemala.[1] It has an occupation dating predominantly from the Middle Preclassic (900–600 BC) period of Mesoamerican chronology. This site belongs to the later period of the Mokaya culture. The site is located in the lower reaches of the Mopan River valley and features a large acropolis complex.[2] Activity at the site has been dated as far back as the Early Classic (AD 250–600), with principal occupation of the site occurring in the Late Classic period (AD 600–900),[3] although some level of occupation continued into the Early Postclassic (AD 900–1200).[4]
La Blanca occupied a frontier zone between the northeastern and southeastern Petén regions and the site is dominated by the acropolis, an especially well built palace complex.[5] The city appears to have been an administrative centre with comparatively little emphasis upon religious or ceremonial activity.[6] It is likely that La Blanca was a subsidiary of a major Maya city such as Yaxha or Naranjo, given the complete absence of hieroglyphic texts and sculpted monuments,[6] and archaeologists presume that La Blanca served as a frontier post or trading centre.[6]
During the Late Classic there was greater public access to the acropolis; as the threat of warfare grew during the Terminal Classic (AD 800-900), access became much more restricted. The end of formal occupation of the city in the Terminal Classic appears to have been violent, with evidence of a battle recovered during excavations of the acropolis.[7] Refugees appear to have occupied the city centre immediately after the collapse of formal settlement at La Blanca, but they abandoned the city for good in the 11th century, after which it was never reoccupied.
The acropolis buildings contain inscribed graffiti dating to the last phase of occupation in the Early Postclassic, including human and animal figures, deities, temples and courtly scenes. Colonial graffiti is also evident from the visit to the ruins by captain Pedro Montañés in the middle of the 18th century.