Current Condition in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Tradition and Reelaboration for an Integrated View of Mixed Heritage

Abstract

In order to study its conditions, since 1987 the authors have monitored the Prehispanic buildings located in the Maya Biosphere Reserve (mbr) in Petén, Guatemala; they have also analyzed neighboring protected areas such as the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, in Campeche, Mexico, and others. This region of the Central lowlands is now known to possess a double heritage: cultural and natural. For the Maya Biosphere Reserve, in Guatemala, the data indicates that this mixed “ideal” management of heritage has not been successful, since the natural and environmental aspects prevail over the cultural ones. For this reason, the present work tries to give an updated view of the condition of the built heritage in the mbr and seeks to revalue the spirit of mixed management.