Benque Archaeological Site Conservation
Project
The Institute of Archaeology (IA), a branch of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and Benque Viejo Town Council on behalf of the Town of Benque Viejo del Carmen, a municipal jurisdiction under the authority of the Government of Belize submitted a project proposal for the U. S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation 2014 program for Conservation of the Benque Archaeological Park and successfully obtained the grant. The excavation will start in April 2015.
The purpose of this project is to preserve the site from further destruction, to conserve it for its cultural, educational and touristic value, and to teach the community the value of preserving their heritage by including them in the conservation process. On the outskirts of Benque Viejo Town is a small Maya site that at one time served as the household of a rural elite family. Previous archaeological investigations of the settlement indicate that it was affiliated with the large ancient city of Xunantunich which can be seen atop a large ridge about a kilometer to the northwest.
The purpose of this project is to preserve the site from further destruction, to conserve it for its cultural, educational and touristic value, and to teach the community the value of preserving their heritage by including them in the conservation process. On the outskirts of Benque Viejo Town is a small Maya site that at one time served as the household of a rural elite family. Previous archaeological investigations of the settlement indicate that it was affiliated with the large ancient city of Xunantunich which can be seen atop a large ridge about a kilometer to the northwest.