Construction of two museum sites in Tulum and at the Calakmul archaeological zone in Campeche — part of the Maya Train project — are moving forward, said National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) head Diego Prieto Hernández.  

During President López Obrador’s Monday morning press conference, Prieto provided an update on the new sites.

The Tulum museum will be located in the under-construction nature reserve, Jaguar National Park. According to Prieto, the Tulum museum’s sample script — a visual guide to navigating from room to room in a museum — is 90% complete.

Meanwhile, “the Calakmul [museum] will display many of the archeological objects that have been discovered thanks to the participation of hundreds of specialists,” Prieto said. 

An onsite museum will be built at the Calakmul archaeological site, INAH announced. The current museum is located nearby but offsite. Prieto said that research work in this area was 22% complete, with infrastructure and signage at 20% and 10% completion respectively. 

Prieto also provided updates on the 12 archaeological zones along Sections 5,6 and 7 of the Maya Train route that are benefitting from the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza), a government initiative to restore sites along the train route in preparation for increased tourism.

To date, archaeologists working with Promeza have uncovered thousands of artifacts in these three sections, Prieto said. These include more than 35,000 ruins and/or structures; over 500 artifacts, 200,00 pottery shards; 106 gravesites and more than 1,600 associated natural features.

“Without a doubt, the largest number of vestiges in terms of ruins, dwellings, roads, platforms, housing units, palaces and other types of building have been found in these areas,” Prieto said.

“Recovering its materials will give us a new vision of the future of the Maya civilization in our territory.”

With reports from La Jornada Maya