Mexico and the United States support relations with the strengthening of Palenque

Bulletin 285

Palenque, Chase. – In the past six years, the governments of Mexico and the United States have cooperated not only to preserve, but in optimal conditions of preservation, the fine architecture of the archaeological area of ​​Palenque, specific cases of Pakal’s tomb, inside the Temple of the Inscriptions, four palace structures, the most complex political-administrative unit in This ancient Mayan city.

On Monday, May 15, the closing ceremony for this conservation project, for which half a million dollars has been allocated support, was held by the Ambassadors Fund of the State Department for Cultural Preservation (AFCP, for its English acronym). ) from the United States; Practiced by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), with transparency and results.

The law was chaired by the National Coordinator for Cultural Preservation (CNCPC), María del Carmen Castro Barrera, and Public Diplomacy Counselor at the US Embassy in Mexico, Silvio Gonzalez, who agreed that it was about an important topic. Contribute to the sustainability of the ancient city, which is considered a world heritage, as it is an example of the creative genius of the Mayan civilization.

Representing the Director General of the Institute, Diego Prieto Hernandez, the Chairman of the Committee commented that Palenque’s entry, in 1987, into the prestigious list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was due, among other aspects, to the elegance and technical quality of its buildings. “The fact that these values ​​continue to be revealed after more than 1,200 years of the city’s splendor carries a huge responsibility,” he noted.

Funding from the AFCP, added the restorer, “has made it possible to start a comprehensive and systematic intervention in the architectural complex of El Palacio. We have known for a long time that it was necessary to take care of roof filtration processes, but this takes time and financial and human resources, which are not always available.

That is why we celebrate the work carried out on houses C, B, E and D, which were worked on between 2018 and 2021, inclusively, during the COVID-19 health emergency. Fortunately, now with resources from the Archaeological Areas Improvement Program (Promeza), earmarked for sites close to the Mayan Train Route, the tasks at El Palacio continue in House A,” he explained.

In his speech, the representative of the US Embassy in Mexico, Silvio González, recognized the workers of Adolfo López Mateos and El Naranjo ejidos who, day after day, under the supervision of archaeologists and conservators, carry out this work, which means restoring the legacy of their ancestors for posterity.

“The United States Government is honored to contribute to the preservation of the heritage of the Mayan people, and of the Mexican people, because preserving history is preserving memory, of what we are and can be. The goal of the AFCP is to support these national legacies. In the Mexican case, it has contributed over 1.4 Million dollars, in various projects, and this (Palenque) was the biggest.

Mexico and the United States celebrate the bicentenary of diplomatic relations. In this sense, the archaeological area of ​​Palenque is indeed a symbol of cooperation and dialogue between the two countries; From here, we have shown that conservation, art and culture are also a source of sustainable development for neighboring communities,” the diplomat stated.

During a tour of El Palacio, the heads of conservation at the INAH Chiapas Center and the Palenque Archaeological Project, Haydeé Orea Magaña and Arnoldo González Cruz, detailed the work carried out on Houses C, B, E and D.

At all stages, priority was given to the removal of foreign materials, such as cement, which was used in the middle of the twentieth century, and to replace it with a mixture of lime and sand when re-integrating masonry joints or insulating the roof, and to achieve comprehensive interventions, “from its roofs to their floors and their insolence,” Urrea noted. Magana.

Thus, by replicating the ancient building systems, it was even possible to restore their function to two pools, believed to have been used as reflecting pools by the ancient hierarchy to contemplate the sky. In one of them, at the meeting of houses B and F, in 2022, a statue of a young corn god is placed.

“In many ritual deposits – in addition to Arnoldo González – we have been able to collect jewels, ceramics or bones of fish, mammals and birds, the study of which will help us to know more details about the history of daily life and the ceremonies that were carried out in the palace”.

It should be noted that part of the resource used for cleaning, waterproofing, and removal of foreign materials, such as the aforementioned cement joints, has been allocated to the Temple of Inscriptions, as well as the installation of a system for measuring humidity, temperature, and carbon dioxide concentrations in the Bakal burial vault, pending the study of the materials constituting the nine plaster inscriptions. that surrounds the coffin, which has been delayed until 2023, due to the health emergency.