Mayan Artifacts
Beginning in 2018, The Marea Foundation began work through its sister organization, Fundacion Marea, to reach agreement with the Honduras Department of History and Anthropology to create the opportunity for exhibition and wider education about the pre-Colombian civilizations in Honduras.
In one of his first meetings with Hector Portillo Machuca, Minister of Anthropolgy and History, Rick Reikenis, President of the Marea Foundation, noted, “It’s a shame that the rest of the world generally thinks of narco-traffickers, migrant caravans, gangs, and murder rates when they hear the name of Honduras. From working here for over 20 years, I know this country to be much more. The people are overwhelmingly friendly, the natural and cultural resources are tremendous, and there is so much more to see and do in Honduras that would enrich anyone’s life experience. Turning this perception around will take a lot of work, and a great way to start is to bring the rich history and culture of Honduras to the rest of the world.”
While these negotiations were interrupted by a year of COVID restrictions, we finally wrapped up an number of agreements, including the joint agreement with the government and Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) in West Palm Beach, to bring a collection of significant, never-before seen pre-Colombian artifacts to the PBAU campus in 2022. These artifacts have been protected in locked vaults in Copan, and have never been on public display anywhere.
The Marea Foundation, Inc. is now in the process of fundraising and arranging for the logistics to make this historic exhibition a reality.