The Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH) announced last week that the removal of the old lighting system installed more than 30 years ago at the Uxmal Archaeological Zone in the Yucatan, has resolved the humidity issues that several Pre-hispanic monuments suffered from. The restorations guarantee better preservation of the buildings.

The specialists conducted work that included a new lighting system, approved by the Archaeology Council, which would not adversely affect the Maya monuments within the site.

During February and March 2009, the archaeologists, architects and engineers meticulously removed the concrete manholes and metal covers installed as part of the lighting and sound system in the 1970’s – which were being used up until January of this year. This work was done near the main buildings of the archaeological site – at the Great Pyramid, the Sorcerer’s Temple, the Governor’s Palace and the Nuns’ Quadrangle.

Uxmal Archaeological Project Director, Jose Huchim Herrera noted that removing the old lamp system did not require opening new trenches, instead the existing ones were adapted and narrowed from 120 to 75 centimeters.

“Not opening new trenches was one of the conditions the Archaeology Council to authorize the Lamp Actualization Project at Uxmal”, said the archaeologist.

Jose Huchim Herrera said that this work has solved the problems of humidity that plagued the structures on site. The potential damage was provoked by water leaking into the core of the buildings through fissures in the modern floors. The same method is being applied to the southern buildings of the quadrangle and the work is being carried out gradually in the rest of the monuments on the site. Huchim, also a researcher at the Yucatan INAH Center, remarked that these actions are part of the ongoing maintenance program of the buildings, which has been conducted by the Institute since 1991.

The archaeologist specified that none of the floors removed was Pre-hispanic. The only floors removed were made out of concrete. The Great Pyramid floor was removed because it caused humidity to leak into the interior of the structure – and the number of manholes to contain lamps was reduced from 54 to 4.

Architect Antonio Vega, in charge of the Historic Monuments Area at Yucatan INAH Center, explained that the newest technology available is being used to replace the lighting system, so that it presents no harm to the cultural heritage of the site.

Uxmal has been on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Cultural Heritage List since 1996.

Read the original article on the INAH site.

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