Central America - Belize/Mexico - Maya Research Program

Session 1: May 24 - June 6
Session 2: June 7 - June 20
Session 3: June 28 - July 11
Session 4: July 12 - July 25

Blue Creek, Belize and Yaxunah, Mexico

University of Texas at Tyler

3 hours for each 2 week session

Variable -- please see website or contact Dr. Guderjan for additional information

$1750 ($1500 for students) for first 2 week session and $1200 for each additional 2 week session

The Maya Research Program is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that sponsors archaeological and ethnographic research in Central and South America. Each summer since 1992, we have sponsored archaeological fieldwork at the ancient Maya site of Blue Creek in northwestern Belize. In the past several years we have added important new programs in Mexico and Peru.

Our goal is, first and foremost, to conduct research that adds to the body of scholarly knowledge and helps us better understand the past of the complex ancient societies of the Americas. Many of our affiliated scholars are internationally recognized as leaders in their fields. Recent support has come from the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation, the Foundation for the Advancement of Meso-american Studies, the Heinz Foundation, and the American Council of Learned Societies.

Another key MRP goal is to encourage the participation of students and volunteers -- anyone who wants to experience the real world of archaeological or anthropological research and understand how we learn about other cultures. We see this as a critical educational component of MRP's work, and it helps us accomplish our research goals as well! The ages of our participants range from 18 to over 80. So many of our participants return year after year that MRP has become something of an extended family. About half of our participants are university students under 30 years old, and about a quarter each are mid-career professionals and retirees. While the majority of participants come from the United States and Canada, we have students from European, Latin American, and Japanese institutions as well. For students, academic credit can be arranged. While many students go on to careers in other fields, many go on to become successful graduate students in archaeology or a related field. Some return to focus on MRP projects for their theses and dissertations.

The Site and Past Projects:

Since 1992, research at the Maya center of Blue Creek as been MRP's flagship effort. Blue Creek was a wealthy polity with a city center incorporation major monumental architecture. We have excavated much of the public architecture, discovered one of the Maya area's largest caches of jade, and found a large-scale ancient agricultural system. Blue Creek represents one of the most well-studied and longest-continuity excavations in the Americas. MRP's work at Blue Creek has produced an academic book, dozens of published papers, five doctoral dissertations and more than ten master's theses. Hundreds of undergraduate students and volunteers have participated in the project. The current blue Creek project team includes faculty members and graduate students from a dozen universities. The Blue Creek Project has also been instrumental in documenting and protecting many Maya sites in northwest Belize.

In May and June of each year, MRP hosts multiple two-week sessions for students and volunteers at Blue Creek. Everyone is a full participant in the effort, being involved with field excavations and laboratory work.

MRP's Maya Area Scholarly Imperative:

Understanding the Classic Collapse. What happened to Classic Maya civilization? Why did the entire society collapse -- region wide -- during a short crisis in the mid-ninth century A.D.? Was it persistent warfare? Agricultural or environmental collapse? Overpopulation? Drought? Or some combination . . . of some other factor altogether? Because of the extent of the Blue Creek site (from Middle Pre classic to the Terminal Classic collapse), and because of the length of time and extent of our studies, MRP is in a unique position to analyze a wealth of data that may provide critical insights into this mystery. An overarching focus of research over the coming years, into which all of our new projects will feed. This will be an effort at the vanguard of scholarship, impacting the debate about the Classic Maya collapse among scholars and institutions around the world.

Nojol Nah. Equally exciting is a newly discovered center of monumental architecture in our survey area. This may represent a suburban center connected to an allied polity of Blue Creek or even an entirely separate city-state. There is much to be learned from this new, major discovery in the context of a well-studied site like Blue Creek, and it will be a focus of MRP's work at the Blue Creek Field Station for years to come. Mapping of the new site by Blue Creek staff and volunteers began in the 2008 excavation season and will continue in 2010.

Chum Balam-Nal. Our current efforts at Blue Creek are focused on excavation of the Chum Balam-Nal, and elite residential zone on the Bravo Escarpement, just south of Blue Creek’s main plaza. This effort was begun in 2009 and will be continuing for several years and is revealing a great deal about the relationships among the elites living in the city center and the "sub-elites" living some distance away. What was going on here as the Classic period drew to a close and Maya civilization began to collapse?

New Project: Wetlands Agriculture. Led by Sheryl & Tim Beach, we continue long term investigations of ancient wetlands agricultural systems at Blue Creek and elsewhere in northern Belize.

Current Project: Bedrock. In 2008, we discovered a wonderfully preserved, deeply buried Early Classic midden at the Bedrock site. In 2010, we will excavate a portion of it to better understand Maya diet, plant and animal use and other environmental factors.


Yaxunah,Mexico Program:


For five field seasons, Dr. Bascopé and Lic. Alcocer have taken anthropology students and others to the village to learn ethnographic techniques, and so have a solid background in guiding volunteers through a meaningful, rewarding experience there. Working in Yaxunah is a real opportunity to make a difference in the world. A number of volunteer opportunities are available to persons over the age of 18, who have at least adequate Spanish proficiency, and who have some college-level training.


For volunteers, what is being offered is a unique opportunity to spend time in a Maya community and learn about a rapidly changing way of life, while being housed in a comfortable traditionally built lodge run by village members and while participating in useful work with the young people of Yaxunah.

The Yaxunah Community Participation Experience volunteer program will have limited participation because of the nature of the lodging. Participants will be approved by Dr. Bascopé. She will also ask each participant to sign a good-conduct pledge that is in keeping with community behavior standards. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2008. You will be notified promptly regarding acceptance. If you are interested in being a Yaxunah Community Participation Experience volunteer, in living in a Maya community, and in changing your life by becoming engaged with programs of importance to others, please contact our office at (817) 257-5943. You may also e-mail Dr. Bascopé directly at gbascope@airmail.net or simply submit the application form. A limited number of scholarships are available. Generally, Dr. Bascopé can arrange with anthropology professors at a student’s university to earn credit for this field experience. If you desire to earn credit hours, please contact her well in advance of the field session.

Maya Archaeology and Ethnography

Classic Period

At Blue Creek, you will be a full member of one of our
excavation teams. Typically, teams consist of at least one
professional archaeologist and a graduate assistant working
with several students
and volunteers and a
few local workers. Each
team will be working on
a research project that
has been approved by
the Belize Institute of
Archaeology and is
aimed at understanding
a specific aspect of the
ancient past. Typically
teams will also spend
one day a week in our
laboratory processing
excavated materials.

Session 1: May 24 - June 6
Session 2: June 7 - June 20
Session 3: June 28 - July 11
Session 4: July 12 - July 25

Yes

Maya Research Program Board of Directors
Jason Barrett, Ph.D (Texas A& M)
Grace Bascopé, Ph.D. (Dallas, Texas)
Bill Collins (Long Beach, California) -- Emeritus
Kim Cox (Corpus Christi, Texas)
C. Gerald Emanuelson (Duluth, Minnesota)
Thomas H. Guderjan, Ph.D. (Tyler, Texas)
Bob Hibschman (Eugene, Oregon)
Dale Pastrana (El Paso, Texas) -- Emeritus
Tim Preston (Petaluma, California)
Keith Peacock, Ph.D. (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Dee Smith (Fort Worth, Texas)

2009 Blue Creek Project Staff:
Dr. Jason Barrett, Texas Department of Transportation
Dr. Steve Bozarth, University of Kansas
Bill Brown, University of New Mexico
Dr. Tim Beach, Georgetown University
Dr. Bruce Dickson, Texas A&M
Pieta Greaves, University of Cardiff
Dr. Thomas Guderjan, Maya Research Program
Gail Hammond, University College, London
Colleen Hanratty, Southern Methodist University
Dr. Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, George Mason University
Jacquie Martinez, York University
Greg Mastropietro
Tim Preston
Stephen Reichardt, Ecoplanz, Inc.
Bob Warden, Texas A&M
Mark Wolf

Blue Creek Project Support Staff
Margaretha Dyck - Camp Cook
Ben Dyck - Camp Maintenance

Yaxunah Project Staff:
Dr. Grace Bascopé - Project Director (Dallas, Texas)
Lic. Elías Alcocer - Asst. Project Director (Universidad del Oriente, Yucatan)

Excavation and survey techniques; artifact analysis; lab procedures; photography; GIS

Yes

Yes -- visits to local sites such as Lamanai

Yes

No -- if you have your own transportation

Dr. Tom Guderjan
Maya Research Program
1910 East SE Loop 323 #296
Tyler, Texas 75701
817-831-9011