In 1998, the Vanderbilt Cancuén Archaeological Project began its research at sites south of the department of Petén, central Guatemala. Rooted in the heart of the jungle lay the remains of a great civilization that had lived there more than one thousand years ago. Since the beginning of the project, three simultaneous lines of action were planned: archaeological research; restoration of the structures; and a sustainable human development program for the nearby communities. The Project's director, Arthur Demarest, thought the latter program crucial. After twenty years of experience in archaeological research in Central America in conditions of civil war, he found the right conditions to develop a project that was sensitive to raise the living standards of the villages around Cancuén. The Peace Treaty and truce accorded by the National Revolutionary Guatemalan Union (URNG) and the Guatemalan government in 1996 assured that the war would not interfere with local aid and community development. Previous Vanderbilt human development projects in the Petexbatun area to the north had been halted by army and guerrilla intrusions.
