In the rolling countryside of the northern Yucatán, a team of researchers has brought to light the story of Hunacti—a short-lived 16th-century mission town whose stone streets and Spanish-style church mask a deeper narrative of relentless persecution, resilience and a quiet adherence to Maya religious traditions.

Led by UAlbany anthropologist Marilyn A. Masson, researchers from Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Morehead State University and the University of South Wales have pieced together a vivid portrait of Hunacti’s 15-year lifespan, from its founding in 1557 to its abandonment by 1572.