Time of visit: November 2021

Duration of visit: 2 hours

Mode of transportation: by rental car, from Oaxaca

Review and experience

I'm really conflicted on how to actually review this site. For context, I visited the Yagul Archaeology Site. As several have noted below, I appreciated visiting a minor site and being one of the only visitors during my time there. As an archaeology enthusiast, I always love sites where visitors can get up close and personal without the disturbance of a large crowd. However, if Yagul were a standalone site, I would've felt that it is rather insignificant, because while the particular site has been occupied from 500 BC, majority of the structure visible was built in the Late Postclassical era (right before European contact) - so for its recency and the abundance of archaeological sites in Mexico, it's not particularly unique or impressive. 

Logistically, the site was very easy to access. It's clearly labeled on Google Maps with easy to read road signs. There is a paved straight road from the main highway to access the site itself. However, the naming of this WHS is confusing, as I at first confused the more visited Mitla Archaeology Site! Oops...

Now the conflict, and why I'm giving it a higher rating. I think the caves are hugely important from a world heritage perspective. They provide evidence for the earliest known domestication of corn (maize), along with other several crops. Agriculture is the foundation of city-states, so arguably this evidence is the foundation of all the impressive pyramids that are around Central America. Likewise, corn is so important to the indigenous people here (historically and today), and so important to humanity all around the world today. I really wish the caves could be more accessible!  That said, I don't understand why the Yagul Archaeology Site is part of this WHS, as it's completely separate from the caves and doesn't really add to Criterion (iii) - the only qualifying criterion for this WHS. Perhaps it's included as the "to more settled communities..." part of the phrase, but that feels like a weak and forced link, and many other archaeology sites nearby would suffice.