Preserving Cultural Heritage in the Americas
Learn more about a half century of work preserving important sites, collections, and traditions across the hemisphere.
Cultural heritage sites, objects, and traditions are a point of pride for people the world over, but they also require care and vigilance. For more than 50 years the United States has worked with partners across the Americas to protect and preserve cultural heritage.
The United States has agreements with 10 countries in South and Central America that protect cultural heritage and create a framework to share it for scientific, cultural, and educational purposes. The Department of State has funded the preservation of 213 cultural sites in 28 countries in the Americas for a total investment of more than $17 million. Below you can explore some of the sites we support around the hemisphere.
Conservation of the Valongo (Imperatriz) Wharf Archaeological Site (19th Century)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Valongo Wharf, Brazil
The largest port of landing of enslaved Africans in the Americas and the physical manifestation of one of the most terrible crimes of humanity. This project preserves these memories by conserving the site, now an arena for education that celebrates Afro-Brazilian culture.
Conservation of 4th-Century BC Astronomical Horizon Markers at Chankillo Archaeological Site (4th century)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Chankillo Archaeological Site, Peru
At Chankillo, the earliest known astronomical observatory in the Americas, this project assisted in the conservation of its horizon markers to preserve the knowledge and skills of these early astronomers for a new generation.
19th-Century Elbow Reef Lighthouse (19th Century)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Elbow Reef Cay Lighthouse, The Bahamas
Cultural heritage across the Americas is threatened by the climate crisis.
Painting of the19th-Century Elbow Reef Lighthouse (19th Century)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Damaged during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019, the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is the last hand-operated, kerosene-powered lighthouse in the world and a symbol of The Bahamas that appears on their money and in their passports.
Conservation of Late Preclassic Maya Murals (1st century BC)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
San Bartolo Maya Murals
Guatemala
Conservation of Late Preclassic Maya Murals (1st century BC)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Dating back to the first century B.C., the Maya murals in San Bartolo, are some of the most significant finds in Mesoamerica and would not have been possible without cutting-edge remote sensing technologies from NASA.
Conservation of the Mural, "Haitian Massacre, 1937," (20th Century) by José Ramírez Conde and Roberto FloresCultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
The Haitian Massacre of 1937 Mural, Dominican Republic
This mural is the only work of art in the Dominican Republic depicting the 1937 massacre of Haitian residents of the Dominican Republic by the dictator Rafael Trujillo.
Conservation of the Mural, "Haitian Massacre, 1937," (20th Century) by José Ramírez Conde and Roberto FloresCultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
This project involves the conservation and relocation of the mural to the Memorial Museum of the Dominican Resistance, that gives voice to the struggles of several generations of Dominicans, including Dominicans of Haitian Descent, under the dictatorship.
Conservation of Rock Art (20,000 BC - 16th Century AD)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Conservation of Rock Art, Chiribiquete Park, Colombia
Chiribiquete National Park in Colombia contains an estimated 75,000 petroglyphs and pictographs created by Indigenous peoples spread across 50 known rock shelters, the oldest from over 20,000 years ago.
Conservation of Rock Art (20,000 BC - 16th Century AD)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
This project documents and preserves 12 of the murals in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The United States has a historical connection and commitment to people throughout the Americas and has worked for more than 50 years to protect and preserve the hemisphere’s unique and diverse cultural heritage. Preserving this history for current and future generations promotes understanding between peoples and supports all voices in the hemisphere.
