Are Mayan artifacts illegal?
Are Mayan artifacts illegal? It is against the laws of Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala to take any pre-Columbian antiquities out of their country. It is against the law of the United States to bring most pre-Columbian art into this country. Maya pottery from the Peten area is especially illegal.
Who owns the Mayan ruins?
The ruins of Chichén Itzá are federal property, and the site's stewardship is maintained by Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History). The land under the monuments had been privately owned until 29 March 2010, when it was purchased by the state of Yucatán.
Are Aztecs Mayans?
The Aztecs were Nahuatl-speaking people who lived in central Mexico in the 14th to 16th centuries. Their tribute empire spread throughout Mesoamerica. The Maya people lived in southern Mexico and northern Central America — a wide territory that includes the entire Yucatán Peninsula — from as early as 2600 BC.