INAH: Maya Train Monument Relocation Legal and Methodical

CHETUMAL, Mexico — Following a formal complaint filed by academics and researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) with the Federal Attorney General's Office regarding the alleged illegal relocation of 47 archaeological monuments said to have been destroyed during the construction of the Maya Train, the federal Secretary of Culture has clarified that only 36 archaeological monuments are being reconstructed.

These monuments are part of the new Balam Tun Park of Memory, a project developed in coordination with the Secretariat of National Defense and the Government of the State of Quintana Roo. Federal authorities assert that the work is being conducted under current regulations and national and international guidelines for the conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage.

This process is part of the Archaeological Salvage efforts for the Maya Train project. According to INAH, there are documented cases of monument relocations in countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Italy, Spain, and Russia, among others.

The institute detailed that each of the 36 structures was excavated and recorded with millimeter precision using techniques of photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and architectural drawings. Subsequently, the stones and ashlars were numbered and transported, along with their construction fill, to their new location.

The reassembly of the buildings was carried out with the interdisciplinary collaboration of archaeologists with more than 25 years of experience in monument restoration and consolidation, restorers, architects, engineers, specialists in digital technologies, and 130 local construction workers, who contributed their knowledge and craftsmanship.

INAH insisted that the measures applied since 2023 have the authorization of the INAH Council of Archaeology and comply with the stipulations of instruments such as the 1964 Venice Charter, as well as recommendations from UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which recognize the viability of relocating monuments when their in-situ preservation is not possible.