Surviving in the Rainforest:
The Realities of Looting in the Rural Villages of El Petén, Guatemala
Vea este informe en Español.

Research Year:  1996
Culture:  Maya
Chronology:  Contemporary
Location:  Petén, Guatemala
Site:  Tikal

Table of Contents

Note to the Reader
Introduction
Purpose, Methodology, and Logistics
Geographical Setting
Rainforest Products and Seasonal Campsites
Who are the Looters?
Magic and Folklore Related to Looting
Voices in the Forest
Tombs with Riches, Tombs with Magic
Glossary of local words
Local Knowledge about Maya Art and History
Local Classification of Precolumbian Remains
Local Re-Utilization of Archaeological Objects
Destruction vs. Conservation. What are the Options?
Cultural Education in Guatemala
The Registration of Archaeological Patrimony
Acknowledgements
List of Figures
Sources Cited
Abbreviations

Note to the Reader

The present article is intended to be used as an informational source relating to the role of local villagers involved in the process of looting. For reasons of privacy, I have used the letters of the Greek alphabet to give certain individuals fictitious names. Words that refer to local mannerisms and places related to the topic, which are in the Spanish or Maya languages, are written in italics. The names of institutions are in Spanish as well, and abbreviations are listed at the end of the article.

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The Realities of Looting in the Rural Villages of El Petén, Guatemala  (840 KB)

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Submitted 02/01/1997 by:
Sofia Paredes Maury