A. Benavides C.: Campeche archaeology at the turn of the century CAMPECHE ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

The Mexican federal state of Campeche, located in the western part of the Yucatan peninsula, possesses a rich archaeological heritage, as a testimony of the Maya civilization that flourished in the area for several millennia before the arrival of Spanish conquerors at the beginning of the 16th century, as well as of the early colonial times. The paper summa-rizes the archaeological research and restoration works carried out in Campeche during the last few decades. Key words: Maya archaeology, Campeche, research history. As it happens in other parts of the country, Mexico’s southeastern region has a solid cultural background whose roots nourish the daily life of many citizens. The specific case of the Campeche State, on the western section of the Yucatan peninsula, is a clear example of how the past is still alive in several ways: new archaeological findings; rescue and salvage projects; integration of pre-Hispanic sites to tourist circuits; major cultural heritage conservation works; epigraphic, archaeological and historical research achieve-ments, etc. (Benavides 1998)