Cultural heritage is big business in Mexico, with profound implications for the nation’s economy, for the livelihoods and identities of descendant communities, and for the scholarly study and preservation of archaeological sites and materials. This panel will explore the economic, cultural and historical nexus of cultural heritage and tourism in a panel featuring Dr. Patricia McAnany, (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and Drs. Sarah Lyon and Chris Pool of the Department of Anthropology at U.K.

Patricia A. McAnany is a Maya archaeologist who has conducted field research and cultural heritage programs through the Maya region. For more information on her work, you can visit the page www.in-herit.org

Sarah Lyon´s research interests include economic anthropology, tourism, globalization, agricultural production and commodity chains, sustainable consumption, Latin America, and Maya culture and identity.

Chris Pool´s research focuses primarily on the evolution of complex societies in the tropical lowlands of southern Veracruz, Mexico, including the Olmecs and their Epi-Olmec.