"The Return of civilization" to Quiriguá": Maya archaeology and the play for power and prestige in Central America in the 19th and 20th century

Abstract

A case study of the history of exploration of the archaeological locality known as Quirigua, in the lowlands of Guatemala, serves as a starting point for the more general considerations on the nature of archaeology as a scientific discipline in its wider social and political context.

Keywords

• Mayas
• archaeology
• history of archaeology
• history of scientific thought
• Quirigua
• United Fruit