The Lacandon were the only Maya in New Spain never conquered by Spain. They escaped Spanish control throughout the colonial era by living in small communities in the jungles of Chiapas and Peten, avoiding contact with Europeans and Ladinos. Lacandon customs remained close to those of the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peasants. As recently as the late 19th century some bound the heads of infants, resulting in the distinctively shaped forehead seen in Classic Maya art. They continue to speak a Maya language closely related to Yucatec Maya. Until the mid 20th century they had very little contact with the outside world, and worshiped the Maya Gods in the ancient temples of their ancestors. Some continue their pagan beliefs, although the majority of Lacandons were converted to Christianity in the late 20th century.
Since the 1970s the government of Mexico has paid the Lacandons for rights to log timber in their forests, which has resulted in them being ever more integrated into modern society.