As a consequence of protests calling attention to these things, archaeologists and museums have reevaluated attitudes and revised policies regarding the exhibition of human remains. Surely the most staggering problem facing archaeologists is the increasing rate of destruction of sites. This destruction of the past can come about in many ways. The looting of Rio Azul, Guatemala, is only one of numerous incidents that have occurred in the homeland of the ancient Maya and their descendants. Thus, the Maya area has become the setting for a desperate race between scholarship and thievery.
Looters customarily use a chainsaw to cut up monuments for easier transport of the heavy limestone.
The most obvious loss is to the nation where such theft takes place, for the looting and export of these objects denies its citizens access to the remains and the symbols of their own cultural heritage. The loss is by no means confined to the Maya area. Looting is just one of the forces that are destroying our archaeological record. Modern development and natural forces such as erosion and rising sea level also take a toll each day. If the present rate of archaeological destruction continues, there may be no more sites to preserve in much of the world in 50 to 100 years.