Which Maya city was called Lakamha in ancient inscriptions?

The Maya city called Lakamha in ancient inscriptions was Palenque.

Palenque was known in ancient Maya records as Lakamha, a name commonly translated as “big water” or “big waters.” The city lies in present-day Chiapas, Mexico, near the Usumacinta River, and became one of the most celebrated Maya centers of the Classic period. Its surviving temples, palaces, sculptures, and hieroglyphic texts provide unusually detailed information about Maya rulers and political history.

Palenque is especially associated with K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, often called Pakal the Great, whose long reign helped make the city a major regional power. His tomb was discovered inside the Temple of the Inscriptions, one of Palenque’s most famous buildings. Inscriptions from the site record dynastic events, warfare, rituals, accessions, and relationships with rival kingdoms such as Calakmul and Toniná.

The name Lakamha is not the same as the modern name Palenque. “Palenque” comes from a later Spanish designation connected with a settlement near the ruins, while Lakamha refers to the ancient Maya city. Calakmul, Copán, and Tikal were also major Maya centers, but they are not the city identified by this ancient name.