Institute of Archeology receives a donation of equipment

This morning, a very significant donation was made to the Institute of Archaeology…thanks to a project called Making Tourism Benefit Communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites. One of the objectives of that project is the enhancement of the tourism experience through improvement to tourism infrastructure and services. And that’s just where the donation of large tools and essential equipment will impact.

Ian Morrison, Project Coordinator, MTBCAAS

“This is a part of the twenty-four month project. This project started in March of this year when we did the launching. And in line with results two which is the infrastructure improvement and health and safety standard, this equipment is to build capacity within the Institute of Archeology and to assist them during the construction of trail rails and ramps and also for general maintenance beyond the life of this project.”

Jaime Awe

Dr. Jaime Awe, Director of Archaeology

“This donation that was made today of various types of equipment is an important part of this larger project that we have been involved with our sister institutions like the Belize Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism. The entire project is called Making Tourism Benefit communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites and one component of that project is to improve our safety standards at at least nine selected archeological sites. These sites just to give you an idea include Altun Ha and Lamanai up in northern Belize; it includes Lubaatun, Lim Ni Punit and Blue Creek Cave down in Toledo district and then the rest, the bulk of them are in the Cayo District: Xunantunich, ATM, Cave’s Branch Cave and Barton Creek Cave. And the donation today are equipment that are targeting the safety at these sites in particular.”

Ian Morrison

Ian Morrison

“The Institute of Archaeology on a regular basis does maintenance of these trails. So we work with the manager, the site manager, Mister Brian Woodeye and we identify the larger equipment and tools so that they have the capacity to purchase the smaller ones. So we gave them the ones that were a bit more difficult so that we could assist them in the works that they are supposed to do.”

Nine archaeological parks and sites will be undergoing improvements in this phase of the project.