Archaeological Reconnaissance at Tixan: Explorations in the Southern Sierra del Lacandón National Park, Petén, Guatemala

The Future of the Sierra del Lacandón National Park

When the SLRAP first began reconnaissance of the Sierra del Lacandón in 2003, the primary threat to the cultural patrimony of the national park, which includes the important Classic period capital of Piedras Negras, was a proposed dam project (Electricidad 2003a, 2003b; Wilkerson 2001). Fortunately, the dam project is currently on hold. Today, the park is under attack from a more imminent threat – the presence of illegal invaders who are settling the land, cutting down the forest, and are engaged in illicit activities such as drug trafficking and looting.

Although we managed to avoid invaders during our three week reconnaissance expedition, their presence was everywhere. Much of the site of Oso Negro has already been burned and will likely be cleared for milpa by next year. During our reconnaissance of La Pasadita, El Túnel, and Tixan, we encountered numerous brechas (small paths) recently cut through the forest. These brechas demarcate parcels of land for burning. If this invasion goes unchecked, it is likely that by next year most of the forest from the southern end of the park to the archaeological sites of La Pasadita and Tecolote will be destroyed. At this rate, it is only a matter of years before the entire forest, including the area around Piedras Negras, is lost.

In January of 2005, a team of Mexican jaguar researchers were temporarily taken hostage by armed gunmen near the archaeological site of Esmeralda, and were reported to be using Piedras Negras as a base of operations (Daniel 2005). It is believed that these assailants were narcotraffickers who have begun to operate out of the Sierra del Lacandón.

This spring, the Defensores de la Naturaleza and CONAP conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the park. During the flyover, they reported significant destruction of the forest on the southern end of the park. In the area of Centro Campesino, where the center of Tixan is reported to be located, they spotted a number of large structures (possibly with collapsed vaults) and at least one sacbé. Clearly, these invaders are settled directly over a significant archaeological site. During this flyover, they also reported an illegally cut runway in the vicinity of the archaeological site of Texcoco.

Currently, the administrators of the Sierra del Lacandón National Park are understaffed and underfunded to combat this dire situation. Now more than ever, the Defensores de la Naturaleza and CONAP need support, if the archaeological and cultural resources of the Sierra del Lacandón National Park are to be preserved for future generations.

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