MAY 6 (Reuters) — Nine of Mexico’s most emblematic archaeological sites have been registered for “special protection” by the United Nations, awarding the grand cities of Mesoamerica’s lost civilizations special status.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday (May 05) that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, registered pre-Columbian sites across the country including Monte Alban, Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza and Calakmul, amongst others.
“Monte Alban together with the other eight sites that are in this new category are sites that already have been listed as world heritage sites because they have identified been identified (by UNESCO) for exceptional universal values. These are values that are unique to the sites and representative of Mexico’s cultures,” said Nelly Robles, coordinator for joint projects at Monte Alban-Atzompa.
These sites are already world heritage listed but will benefit from special UNESCO guarantees and programs to promote their history and longevity.
Amongst the special protections offered by UNESCO include guarantees under the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Currently the U.N.-body is working towards the establishment of a protected zone around heritage sites in Syria and Iraq that have been targeted for destruction.
But Robles said there was no need for such conflict protection in Mexico.
“In the case of Mexico, fortunately we don’t have these armed conflicts of country against country (as they do in the Middle East). So what they’re (UNESCO) going to do, they’re going to offer additional protection to our most emblematic sites which are listed as world heritage. This can provide new programs and new conservation efforts,” she went on.
From the ancient Aztecs to the Mayans, modern-day Mexico was home to the world’s most diverse and renowned civilizations of the ancient world.
Dozens of cultural and historic sites from Mexico enjoy UNESCO heritage listing, with another two dozen on a tentative list still awaiting qualification. (Mexico, North America)
