Meet the American Explorer Who Plundered Chichén Itzá

Edward H. Thompson, an American diplomat and explorer, is well-known for his exploration of Chichén Itzá. However, he also played a significant role in the looting of this archaeological site, even owning a portion of the ancient settlement.

Thompson arrived in Yucatán in 1885, ostensibly on a diplomatic mission. However, his real objective was to explore and extract cultural artifacts from Chichén Itzá. After living in Yucatán for nine years, Thompson purchased the Hacienda of Chichén Itzá, which bordered the site's ruins. This property included several cenotes, including the Sacred Cenote.

Backed by the American Antiquarian Society, Thompson began dredging the cenote. The use of heavy machinery resulted in damage to countless artifacts that had been submerged for centuries. Thompson extracted a wide variety of items, including incense balls, wooden machetes, ornamental objects, ancient sandals, copper bells, jade figures, pottery pieces, jewelry, gold medallions, and human skeletons. It's estimated that he stole up to 30,000 archaeological pieces, many of which ended up in the Peabody Museum at Harvard University and the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago.

The looting of Chichén Itzá continued until 1922, when social unrest in Yucatán led to the burning of the Hacienda of Chichén Itzá by peasants demanding land allocations. Thompson sought compensation from the Mexican government for this act, but his request was denied.

In 1923, a New York Times reporter named Alma Reed published a report on Thompson's "exploration" of the Sacred Cenote, which included his own admission of the extensive looting he had conducted in Yucatán. This led to legal trouble for Thompson, who was reported to the Attorney General of the Republic by the Secretariat of Public Education for the theft of archaeological objects.

The legal dispute began in 1926 and continued for many years. Thompson passed away on May 11, 1935, before the trial concluded. After his death, his lawyers managed to reduce the compensation owed to the Mexican government.