Más allá de la arqueología académica: conversando con los guías comunitarios de Uaxactún

The performance of the tourist guides from Uaxactun reflect the importance of including Community Archaeology within archaeological projects. The informal interviews with these guides show how the educational courses, specialized workshops and lectures –whether imparted by the NGO´s or the archaeological project– can catalyze the economical sustainability through the tourism. However, and independently of this progress, the tourist guides agree that Archaeology should play a greater role in transforming the excavated data into direct and long-term benefits for their community. The case of Uaxactun and its beginnings with the Community Archaeology highlights that the Archaeology can be a discipline with socio-economic relevance also for the people who live nearby the cultural heritage of the ancient Maya.