11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Maya Archaeological site for sale on Facebook has stirred controversy in Yucatán and across Mexico

Over 249 hectares of land for sale on Facebook Marketplace has sparked controversy in Yucatan and across Mexico.

The property, which was advertised on social media, contains the remains of ancient Maya structures within the Xkipche Archaeological Zone, a registered monument in the Archaeological Atlas of the state of Yucatán.

In response to this sale, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) is taking legal action against the private sale of the land containing the Mayan monuments of Mexico’s Yucatan.

The present owners of the land posted an advert on a Facebook group, stating that the site is being sold as a “ranch” with “18 paddocks”, and is “located ten minutes from the archaeological zone of Uxmal and has pyramids”.

They also stated that the land had previously been investigated by academic institutions between 1990 and 1997, as well as archaeologists from Bonn University in Germany working in collaboration with INAH from 2002 to 2004.

Photo: Social Networks/Arkasas

The property is listed for sale at a price of 18 million pesos or roughly one million USD.

According to Yucatán Magazine, the INAH is now preparing to take legal action to avoid the sale and perhaps even expropriate the property.

José Arturo Chab Cárdenas, Director of the INAH Yucatán Center, stated that a criminal complaint will be filed against the owners of said land for commercialization of archaeological monuments

The advert sparked outrage on social media and made national headlines across Mexico, stating that the sale would set a precedent, allowing private sales of archaeological sites for profit, and endangering the nation’s cultural heritage.

The site of Xkipche underwent reconstruction efforts in the late ’90s and was completed by the INAH in 2004 with the assistance of archaeologists from Bonn University in Germany. Photo: NOVADATES
The site of Xkipche underwent reconstruction efforts in the late ’90s and was completed by the INAH in 2004 with the assistance of archaeologists from Bonn University in Germany. Photo: NOVADATES

Owning property with archaeological remains on it is not illegal under Mexican law, but all archaeological remains are constitutionally the property of the federal government, making their sale impossible. The same goes for pieces of land with rivers, lakes, or cenotes, as all waterways are also government property under Mexican law.

The Puuc region is home to dozens of well-known archaeological sites open to the public, including Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, and Labna, but it also has a plethora of others, the majority of which are on private or ejido land.

Related Articles

What If Ancient Statues Smelled Wonderful? The Surprising Secrets of Greco-Roman Sculptures

16 March 2025

16 March 2025

A new study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology has shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of ancient Greek...

Italian Research Team May Have Found Plato’s Burial Site in Athens

23 April 2024

23 April 2024

Graziano Ranocchia, a papyrologist at the University of Pisa, said he found Plato’s exact burial place based on papyri findings...

New Study Reveals That the First English Settlers in North America Ate Dogs to Survive

28 May 2024

28 May 2024

The first English settlers to arrive in North America ate indigenous dogs to survive an extreme period of starvation, according...

The Mysterious Horsemen of Pir Panjal: Secrets of an Ancient Legacy in Jammu and Kashmir

24 April 2025

24 April 2025

Deep within the rugged Pir Panjal range in Jammu and Kashmir, India, lies a captivating mystery known as the Mysterious...

Archaeologists explore Eastern Zhou Dynasty mausoleum in China’s Henan

30 January 2022

30 January 2022

An archaeological survey of a royal mausoleum of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 B.C.-256 B.C.) has been launched in central...

Archaeologists unearth the long-lost homestead of King Pompey in Lynn

3 July 2024

3 July 2024

Archaeologists from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and a historian from Northeastern University believe they might have found the...

Was Stavanger Cathedral Built on a Viking Settlement?

4 June 2021

4 June 2021

Archaeologists have discovered animal bones and habitation evidence underneath the northern part of Stavanger cathedral that they believe date from...

Archaeologists Uncover Roman London’s First Basilica Beneath an Office Basement

13 February 2025

13 February 2025

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery beneath an office building in London, unearthing a substantial section of the ancient city’s...

Archaeologists Find the “Lost” House of the Last Anglo-Saxon King Depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

A team from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the...

Roman-Era Sarcophagus Discovered on Varna Beach one of Bulgaria’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations

26 July 2024

26 July 2024

An ancient sarcophagus from the Roman era was discovered by chance on the beach near the resort of Saints Constantine...

5,000-year-old Settlement Unearthed in Al Mudhaibi, Oman

3 January 2023

3 January 2023

The Oman News Agency announced that a 5,000-year-old settlement was discovered during archaeological excavations at the Al Gharyein archaeological site...

In Medieval burial ground, a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ was discovered

26 February 2023

26 February 2023

Russian archaeologists have uncovered a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ in a medieval burial ground. 46 graves have been...

Roman influence period artifacts discovered by history enthusiasts in northern Poland

16 March 2024

16 March 2024

Local history enthusiasts from the Wendrusz Historical and Exploration Society have discovered four fibulae, a ring, and fragments of decorations...

Underwater Archaeologists discovered World’s Largest and Oldest ancient shipyard on Dana Island, Türkiye

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

The ruins of the world’s largest and oldest ancient shipyard were found in the north of the island of Dana,...

The Temple of Persian Water Goddess Anahita Discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan

8 March 2024

8 March 2024

Archaeologists excavating the Rabana-Merquly mountain fortress in what is present-day Iraqi Kurdistan suggest that it may also have served as...