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Recorded by Belize Dept of Archaeology in 1970s |
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Full extent assessed as surveys in 1984 |
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El Pilar Program Launched in 1993 |
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Declared a protected zone by Belize and
Guatemala in 1998 |
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Centrally located within Maya Forest |
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To link with the ancient and contemporary
traditions for conservation of cultural and natural heritage of the Maya
forest |
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To design a strategic plan for community
participation, science research, and government management |
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To make the El Pilar a model for regional
conservation designs in of Belize, Mexico and Guatemala |
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El Pilar is a shared cultural and natural
resource, a symbol of cooperation and collaboration between Belize and
Guatemala. |
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El Pilar Program has coalesced an international
and interdisciplinary team |
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Collaborative planning to rescue the rainforest, curtail
looting, and recover the heritage of the Maya forest |
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Incorporates community wisdom, government
development, and international environmental concerns through an integrated
archaeological research program |
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The conservation of the forest was essential to
the evolution of Maya civilization |
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Ancient Maya did not have metal, plow, or horse |
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Ancient settlements are material evidence for
the evolution of sustainable economies |
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Today conservation is critical to the ecological
balance of the environment |
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proximity to water in the dry season |
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type of soil (fertility, drainage, erosion) |
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topography (slope, aspect, elevation) |
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land-cover type |
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accessibility |
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distance from |
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other
sites |
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Globalization homogenize society and infringe on
time-honored traditions. |
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Cooperative association, Amigos de El Pilar now
established in Belize and Guatemala |
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Links between the community and the reserve
strengthen local investments in conservation and administrative
responsibility |
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El Pilar Program has set a new stage for
eco-tourism in |
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Authenticity and a sense of discovery, as seen
in the lithographs documenting the historic 18th-Century explorations of
Stevens and Catherwood, |
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Landscaping views of the temples and plazas as
well as reconstructed Maya houses in their forest-gardens draws the visitor
into the scene and evokes the imagination. |
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“Of the mortal effect of the monuments
themselves, standing as they do in the depths of the tropical forest … the
imagination is pained in gazing at them.
The tone that pervades [them] is that of deep solemnity.” |
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Park management is fundamental to the long-term
research and development plan |
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Balance short-term strategies for community
involvement and long-term concerns for conservation |
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The natural environment, cultural resources,
contemporary peoples, and access for tourism figure in the master research
and development plan |
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The
model: the El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna |
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Notes