1 November 2011 Cultural Property Advisory Committee Cultural Heritage Center SA-5, Fifth Floor Department of State Washington,

DC 20522-0505 Dear Madame Chairperson and Members of the Committee, I am writing to express my support for the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and the Republic of Belize that will be considered by CPAC at its upcoming public meeting on November 16, 2011. I write as President of the Archaeological Institute of America. Founded in 1879 and chartered by an act of Congress in 1906, The AIA is the oldest and largest organization in the US devoted to archaeology. With more than 108 societies throughout the country and more than 200,000 members, the AIA can fairly be said to represent a broad cross-section of Americans, from students to interested lay-people to professional archaeologists. Although many today think of the AIA as being exclusively concerned with classical archaeology in the Mediterranean, that is not the case. In fact, during its early history the AIA sponsored excavations in the Americas, while both its distinguished lecture program and popular magazine Archaeology have a strong New World focus. And of course the AIAs interest in protecting ancient archeological sites and artifacts knows no geographic boundaries. From Mayan paintings to colonial-era metalwork of the 1600s, the archaeology of Belize is a fundamental part of that countrys cultural heritage and a boon to the tourism that plays an increasingly important role in its economy. In 2010 the AIA awarded funds to Paynes Creek National Park in Belize to help protect rare underwater wooden structures at a Classic Maya site. That the Park authorities applied forand receivedthis highly competitive grant underscores the importance Belize attaches to its archaeological remains. Likewise, it demonstrates the compelling nature of the need for protections. The imposition of import restrictions by the US would provide another layer of protection for a fragile cultural patrimony that is endangered by looting. It is essential that Belizes remains be preserved for study and enjoyment by future generations of archaeologists and visitors. In consideration of the above, I respectfully ask that the committee recommend the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Belize concerning the imposition of import restrictions on archaeological material from Belize that spans its history from its Neolithic origins (pre-Columbian, circa 9000 BCE) to the end of the Spanish occupation in the late eighteenth century CE. Sincerely,