Guatemalan Patrimony
A big part of Guatemala’s archeological patrimony is unprotected due to the lack of resources to protect it and conserve it. The government, in an effort to solve this situation is making alliances with inhabitants of the nearby areas to protect this places which are a legacy to all Guatemalan people and the world. According to the Ministry of Culture, Peten has around 4,000 archeological sites. A majority of these sites have not been properly investigated.
Of all this sites, 46 are protected and opened to the public and 400 receive some kind of supervision by the Archeology and History Institute but not enough to protect them against thieves. According to investigations done by the environmental organization Tropico Verde, the majority of the archeological sites in the Laguna del Tigre Park in Peten have lost around 70 percent of its pieces and other small artifacts. The majority of security for these sites are contracted by international organizations that finance investigative projects in Guatemala.
To avoid this kind of damage, the Ministry of Culture is pushing for a plan to involve all the communities nearby in the protection of this invaluable Mayan remains. This communities are being taught how to make miniature archeological pieces and also to provide turistic services which eventually will permite this communities to obtain economical benefits in exchange for taking care of this areas. Peten has around 35,000 square kilometers of archeological sites but only 13,000 square kilometers have been investigated and the rest is still underground or undiscovered.
