INAH calls off work at Hidalgo pyramid due to budget cuts

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has announced it will stop exploration and excavation work at a newly discovered pyramid in the state of Hidalgo, due to lack of budget. 

The discovery happened in June this year, in the municipality of San Agustín Metzquititlán, during expansion works at the Pachuca-Huejutla highway. Following the discovery, experts from the INAH visited the site for inspection.

The archeological site is made up of five sectors and includes at least 10 archaeological mounds. According to archeologists, it dates to the Epiclassic (650-950 A.D.) and Late Postclassic (1350-1519 A.D.) periods. During their initial investigation, they unearthed obsidian fragments and rock paintings depicting faces, arrows, and everyday objects, which appear to belong to an ancient citadel. 

Researchers also collected 155 samples of ceramics, shells and lithic materials from floors made of lime, coal, earth and charred wood. All samples will be subject to laboratory studies in the coming month.

The dimensions of the pyramid are between 300 and 400 meters, according to the newspaper El País.

According to the director of Tourism of San Agustín Metzquititlán, Héctor Labra Chávez, the base of the pyramid is located where the road passes and excavation work is necessary to learn more about the structure. He stressed that there are no vestiges of pre-Columbian civilizations in this area and noted the need to conduct more in-depth research in the area to learn about the culture that settled there.

🤩🇲🇽 ~ ¡Lo que escondía la carretera Pachuca-Huejutla!

Trabajadores del municipio de San Agustín Mezquititlán que realizaban trabajos en el tramo Cerro Colorado, descubrieron diversos monumentos piramidales fuera del derecho de vía de la carretera, como vasijas, pinturas… pic.twitter.com/0N5AQNxso9

— El Valle (@elvallemexico) December 4, 2024

El País and other outlets reported that, according to INAH sources, excavation on the site will not continue due to budgetary limitations. Labra, the local tourism director, said the municipal government offered to provide the financial resources to continue excavating the site, if INAH provided personnel.

However, after taking samples, INAH announced that the pyramid would be covered with geotextile fabric and re-buried to ensure its preservation. The institute also announced plans to build a 43-meter wall to protect the site.

Claudia Sheinbaum’s government budget for next year has made significant cuts to nearly all cultural areas. In 2024, INAH received a budget of just 8 million pesos (US $395,000). Next year, this amount will be reduced to 4.5 million pesos (US $222,000), representing a substantial decrease of 45%.

With reports from El País and Criterio Hidalgo