[Aztlan] Fwd: Maya altar uncovered in the Yucatan

[michael ruggeri]

> Thanks to Mike Ruggeri for forwarding that article regarding the  
> salvaged Maya altar on Eric Boot's website.
>
> Despite what we see from large National Geographic programs, or even  
> university-driven research teams, salvage archaeology in Mexico is  
> becoming (and will continue to be) an important aspect of Maya  
> archaeology.
>
> Traditionally, in the United States, we think of salvage archaeology  
> (often referred to as "CRM" or "Cultural Resource Management") as a  
> government regulation.  When a new highway or housing development  
> requires approval, the government or contractor first sends out a  
> team of archaeologists to survey the proposed impact area.  If there  
> are archaeological features located within the impact zone, those  
> features are either documented and avoided (through a re-drawing of  
> the original plans) or the features are excavated to extract as much  
> information as possible before the construction project destroys any  
> remaining data.
>
> When applied properly, this process has been equally successful in  
> Yucatan.  Projects by Raul Morales (cited in the article forwared by  
> Mike) are excellent examples of such efforts.
>
> With admittedly limited exposure to INAH's salvage work, I was  
> distinctly impressed by the efforts expended to preserve any  
> information from the mounds along side a road widening project in  
> the northwest Maya lowlands, between the towns of San Mateo and  
> Chunchucmil.  The ancient Maya city of Chunchucmil was once so large  
> that its ruins now encompass the lands owned by at least 5 modern  
> communities.  The roads between each modern community barely  
> accommodate one vehicle at a time (vehicles need to find areas to  
> pull off the road in order to allow for passing cars).  In only one  
> year, a half dozen people from nearby villages were struck and  
> killed while walking or biking on these narrow roads, including a  
> good friend of mine.  So, clearly, some road improvements were  
> necessary.
>
> However, the existing historic roads that connect each village cut  
> through the pre-Hispanic archaeological site of Chunchucmil (having  
> destroyed any mounds in their way over a century ago).  In the  
> current road improvement project between Chunchucmil and San Mateo,  
> another several structures were mapped alongside the road, but  
> within the impact zone.
>
> INAH archaeologists, working with the local villagers, did an  
> excellent job of documenting every structure that might be impacted,  
> and providing full mitigation (full excavation with documentation)  
> of any structures that would need to be demolished.
>
> While this might sound horrendous to some listeros who believe all  
> ancient structures must be preserved, the practical matter is that  
> roads must and will be built, houses must and will be built, and  
> therefore in a region literally filled with pre-Hispanic remains --  
> ancient structures must and will be destroyed.
>
> Both in Yucatan and in the United States, ancient sites are  
> demolished daily in the name of progress.  The question is whether  
> the proper procedures are followed to document and preserve the  
> information contained in these structures before progress rolls  
> through.
>
> Kudos to Raul and the rest of the INAH salvage teams who work one  
> step ahead of the bulldozers, preserving the knowledge for future  
> generations.  I only hope that such salvage work in Yucatan results  
> in a growing literature of detailed excavation reports, as it does  
> in the United States.  And I equally hope that the current budget  
> crunch does not limit these excellent salvage projects as Yucatan  
> continues to grow.
>
> I also welcome comments from those more familiar with the salvage  
> projects in Yucatan.  I would love to hear more about the state of  
> these endeavors.
>
> -Dave
>
> _________________________________
> David R. Hixson
> chunchucmil at yahoo.com
> www.mesoamerican-archives.com
>
>
>