Protection of Cultural Heritage: The Case of Yaxcabá and Yaxunah, Yucatán

Summary

The objective of the paper is to present and compare the notions held by the contemporary residents of the town of Yaxcabá, the municipality’s head, and the village of Yaxunah in Central Yucatán, about the protection and conservation of the archaeological sites on their lands. Even though Yaxcabá and Yaxunah are less than 20 km apart, these two population centers display social, political, and economic differences and have been influenced by varying amounts of exposure to archaeological research projects and tourism. As a result the notions of cultural heritage vary among the inhabitants of Yaxcabá and Yaxunah.

We will also provide recommendations for how to integrate local residents’ full participation in promoting the protection and conservation of cultural heritage. Archaeologists need to be fully aware of the different land tenure and management systems of the lands onto which archaeological sites are located, as these will affect the way communities relate and engage with the ruins. Close collaboration of archaeologists and local communities are essential for a successful cultural heritage conservation and management process.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Protección del Patrimonio Cultural en México, a través de la Dirección de Registro Público de Monumentos y Zonas Arqueológicos e Históricos   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16624