La civilización maya y sus herederos. Un debate negacionista en la historiografía moderna guatemalteca

Abstract

In this article the autor summarizes several ideas around Ethnicity, State and Nation, 1809-1895 –a CIRMA project developed under his coordination- focused on the “Historical vacuum” or “Historical degeneration” thesis that supposedly occurred among the contemporary indigenous groups in Guatemala. These ideas have been a major point of reference in the construction of the Guatemala national identity and determined the relationship between history and ethnicity. As well, they have conditioned the development of the interethnic relationships in the country for two hundred years. Also, the author stresses its influence in Guatemala´s archaeological research that promotes the Lowland region investigations –where the Classic sites flourished-, instead of the Highlands, dated to the Postclassic period, associated to the “Historical degeneration” phase.