Cancun, QRoo.- The National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism (Fonatur) reports 16,000 archaeological finds along the route of the Mayan Train, whose works “have become the trigger for a new knowledge about the Mayan civilization thanks to the work carried out by archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)”.
According to the agency, the findings of INAH specialists mean a preview of about 100 years in research around the Mayan world, in all its stages.
These archaeological finds have been achieved thanks to the use of LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) flights, which emit laser pulses and generate a model of the terrain represented by a cloud of geo-referenced (3D) points.
“From the cloud of points, buildings, trees, poles, cables, points on the ground and other objects of interest can be extracted with precision and automatically:” Fonatur explained.
Once the area where the possible find is located has been delimited, it begins with the clearing and cleaning of vegetation from the structures, then a topographic survey and drawing of excavation grids with a total station is carried out using control points taken with GPS GNSS RTK.
The next step begins with the archaeological excavation according to the characteristics of the contexts, carrying out a strict control of natural and cultural layers and a registry of collapse plants, as well as a registry of archaeological elements with a total station or GPS RTK.
If a finding is made, an analysis of archaeological materials is made to determine the period of its creation, the materials and the specifications of the monument.
The agency also explained that the objective is the protection and recovery of the archaeological heritage located in the area of the work, through a comprehensive salvage investigation with a regional perspective, in accordance with the technical and academic guidelines established in national legislation and regulations. INAH, as well as international agreements and recommendations regarding the protection of cultural heritage.
Rogelio Jiménez Pons, director of Fonatur, explained that the recent presidential agreement that makes the Tren Mata a public utility and national security will allow them to speed up all the procedures and permits that these findings imply before the INAH.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx