ARH309H1 Lecture : Collecting
Document Summary
Chichen its on the yucatan: very important heritage site, one of the new wonders of the world, was until recently on privately held land, key to developing tourism was to sever ties of private land. 83ha of land, 45 of which corresponds to the monumental ruins average mexican: money supposed to be used to help site, but this is not happening, whole experience is ruined by vendors blocking the site. Edward thompson: an american consul at yucatan in 1885, he had a dual mission": archaeologist(or collector, really)/diplomat obsessed with the idea of creating archaeological legacy. Sent his finds back to the us: aggrandized himself, never had any money so wrote romanticized adventures, hired by peabody museum to do archaeological" work. Purchases hacienda, tries to turn it into a hotel however the time he chose was rife with civil. In 1950 the lands are purchased by fernando barbachano who built a hotel: eventually some artifacts were returned to mexico.
