Limbos arqueológicos: una invitación al universo de los sitios extraoficiales en México

Abstract

In Mexico, there are 194 archaeological zones open to the public under the custody of the National Institute for Anthropology and History. However, there are also many other sites that operate outside the federal management model and the current legal framework. These are called “limbos” here and are clas‑ sified by who administers them and the land ownership regime. Through the review of three cases spread over Mexico, a first approximation of their key problems and shared dynamics is offered that factors in legal, bureaucratic and socioeconomic aspects that underlie the unauthorized use of archaeological heritage. It is concluded that they are “in limbo “mainly due to ambiguities in the legislation and loopholes that have been exploited by stakeholders to allow them to use of these ruins as a tourist attraction.