La Ruta Maya Foundation in Guatemala

27th May 2025

La Ruta Maya Foundation Director Sofía Paredes Maury

We’re most grateful to Sofía Paredes Maury for sharing with us the story of La Ruta Maya Foundation, of which she is Director and Curator. She holds a BA in Archaeology from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and a MA in Museum Studies and Caribbean & Latin American Studies from New York University. Her field expertise includes being Assistant Curator of the Popol Vuh Museum (Guatemala); Researcher in Residence at the Duke University Art Museum (Durham, NC); a Wildlife Conservation Society consultant at the Sylvanus G. Morley Museum and Tikal National Park (Petén, Guatemala); Educational Support Staff at the American Museum of Natural History (NYC) and Field Coordinator of the Management Plan for Copán Archaeological Park (Honduras). She has been a William Fulbright and FAMSI grantee.

Since October 1990, La Ruta Maya Foundation has had the privilege of sharing its collection of archaeological artifacts with the public through magazines, publications, and exhibitions. Each month, we bring the wonders of Mayan art to our followers by showcasing several objects created before the arrival of Europeans to this region. Here we tell the story of the Foundation and how we work to preserve a historical and artistic heritage that belongs to all Guatemalans and to humanity.

La Ruta Maya Conservation Foundation was founded by Wilbur E. Garrett, former editor of National Geographic Magazine in the United States of America, on October 25, 1990. Its primary purpose was to support a regional project in the five countries that conform the Maya Area: Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The concept of “La Ruta Maya” encompassed a 1,500-mile (2,414.016 km) route with a variety of landscapes, archaeological sites, and nature reserves. Its primary role was to manage a fund for environmental conservation projects, promoting sustainable tourism, and carrying out activities to prevent archaeological looting and illegal wildlife trafficking.

In 2004, upon completion of the regional project, Mr. Fernando Paiz, a Guatemalan businessman passionate about art, culture, and education, became president of La Ruta Maya and decided to shift the foundation’s objectives to another interesting project: recovering Mayan archaeological artifacts - which had been illegally exported from the country in previous decades - and bringing them back to their region of origin. Thus, La Ruta Maya NGO was founded in Guatemala (November 2007), and later, La Ruta Maya Foundation in 2010.

Collectors voluntarily donate Pre-Columbian artifacts to the foundation in the United States, with the goal of returning them for study and public display. Sadly, the trafficked artifacts lack an archaeological context, meaning they have lost all information about their original location and their associations with objects, people, or contents. These artifacts are now being studied in various ways to recover, at least in part, the information lost due to their illegal excavation and lack of scientific procedures. They are now being studied to learn more about the Pre-Columbian peoples and serve as an educational tool against depredation and illicit trafficking.

In addition to recovery and repatriation (which is carried out in compliance with the procedures outlined by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and Customs), La Ruta Maya fulfills its mission through four other programs:-

Cataloging and Registration Program: The entire collection is inventoried and registered as National Cultural Heritage with the Cultural Property Register. Each object has an individual file - physical and digital - that includes the Registry record and the Internal Inventory record with all its data and photographs.

Exhibition Program: Each year, La Ruta Maya organizes exhibitions for educational purposes, but also loans pieces to museums and cultural venues, as well as to international exhibitions. “Interpretation” is key to communicating scientific findings to the public. It is a communication resource that translates the specialized language of experts into content and messages that anyone can understand.

Education and Research: Researchers and university students have access to the archaeological artifacts for research and laboratory work. Volunteers have also provided valuable assistance in cataloging, archiving, cleaning artifacts, and sampling materials.

This collection is studied using different approaches, as we have received extensive collaboration from specialists in various disciplines, such as epigraphers (those who read and translate glyphs), iconographers (those who study imagery and symbolism), biologists and zoologists (who identify animals and plants in Maya art), musicians (who study and play musical instruments), and even chemists. Together, we compile the information and give a new voice to the objects that lost everything when they were removed from their ancient offering sites.

Documentation through scanning and 3D models is very important, allowing us to learn more about the details of the objects without the need for invasive analysis or damage. Furthermore, video continues to be a very useful tool, not only for audiovisual documentation, but also for disseminating heritage and achieving greater reach.

Outreach Program: This program is specifically implemented through the online collection on our website and social media.
You can find articles about La Ruta Maya collection here:-
• EntreCultura digital magazine (www.entrecultura.tv)
• AZTLANDER Magazine of the Americas (https://aztlandermagazineoftheamericas.com/)
• MEXICON the Journal of Mesoamerican Studies (https://mexicon.de/).

Throughout this time, we’ve been evaluating what works and what doesn’t. Now, with a new venue, the use of technology and support from interns and volunteers from various disciplines, it has become possible to generate more information. We’ve gone from being an organization with a collection in custody to one with a collection for public use, both for academia and individuals. Finally, it’s necessary to share using verified references and reliable sources.
In Guatemala, you can find us at Avenida Las Américas 19-60, Zona 13, Guatemala City, 01013 or visit our websites to learn about the activities we’ll be carrying out. You can also write to us at info@fundacionrutamaya.org.

Sources:-
• Wilbur E. Garrett (author and editor). 1989. “LA RUTA MAYA.” National Geographic Magazine (October 1989: 424-479). The National Geographic Society. Washington DC (reprint)
• Internal documents of La Ruta Maya Conservation Foundation and Fundación La Ruta Maya.

Photos supplied by the author.