The principal of the University of Valencia, M.Vicenta Mestre and the general director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), of the Mexican Government, Diego Prieto Hernández have signed a collaboration agreement to inter-institutional cooperation with the aim of strengthening the existing relationship between the two parties and the development of a cooperation programme in the fields of protection, preservation, promotion and administration of cultural heritage.

This agreement is a result of a long history of collaboration, initiated in 2016, between professionals of the National Institute of Anthropology and History, responsible for the protection of the Mexican cultural heritage, and the research team of the MAYATECH project of the University of Valencia.

This project, directed by Dr. Cristina Vidal (University of Valencia) and Dr. Gaspar Muñoz (Universitat Politècnica de València), and financed by the Generalitat Valneciana through the PROMETEO project, carries out documentation analysis and spreading of the heritage assets of the Mayan area, specifically the palace of the governor of Uxmal, one of the best known examples of Mayan architecture. All this through the use of new technologies for documentation and archaeometric techniques.

MAYATECH has its origins in the La Blanca Project, initiated in 2004 and directed by the same researchers, whose objectives were the archaeological and architectural investigation of La Blanca and Chilonché, located in the department of Petén (Guatemala).

This agreement will further strengthen cooperation relations and deepen the knowledge of the ancient Mayan civilization, as well as enhance the exceptional safeguarding of the archaeological legacy in world heritage cities, such as Uxmal.

The event was attended by professors and researchers of the University of Valencia, Cristina Vidal and Gaspar Múñoz, and the International Relations technician, M. José Esteban. The Mexican representatives included the National coordinator of Archelogy, Pedro Francisco Sánchez; the president of the Archelogy Council, Laura Ledesma; the national coordinator of the INAH Centre, René Alvarado; and the director of the Uxmal Archaeological Zone and Puuc Route, José G. Huchim, among others.