ARCHAEOLOGY
IN BELIZE
The Anthropology program at the College of Lake County and the Mayflower Archaeology Project are offering students an opportunity to participate in an ongoing Maya research project in Belize, Central America. The program is centered around 6 hours of academic credit, Ant 226 (Introduction to Field Methods) and Ant228 (Cross-Cultural Relationships). Four weeks of the course will be conducted on-line in a web-based environment and the three-weeks of the program will be conducted on-site in Belize. The program provides an intensive introduction to the practice of archaeology and training in a variety of field techniques, including, research design, site survey, data recording, excavation, and laboratory skills. Adding to the field and laboratory training will be lectures by the staff and guests, covering the ancient Maya, Belizean archaeology, and modern cultures of Belize.
The project covers an area of 20 Km2 and includes three possible Late Classic Maya sites, Mayflower, Maintzunun, and T'au Witz. While the area was surveyed twenty years ago, excavations have been virtually nonexistent and much of the area is still covered in a tropical rainforest. Initial excavations associated with this project began in 1996 and it will be the responsibility of this summer’s field school to continue to map, survey, and excavate the area. Students will also be responsible for writing a final field report on their findings.
While the sites are located inland, the field school will be housed at the coastal Garifuna village of Hopkins. Students will have their weekends off to explore the beautiful countryside and enjoy the various water sports that Belize has to offer. In addition, students may choose to go on a project sponsored field-trip to an additional archaeological site in the Maya Mountain Range.
The three-week portion of the program is currently scheduled from June 12 - July 3, 2003. The field school will be limited to 15 students in order to ensure individualized instruction. Cost is estimated at $2,500.00 and includes in-state tuition, airline cost from Chicago (other departure points are available), room and board, and transportation associated with the field school. Students will be responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses, personal travel.
For more information please contact:
Wendy Brown ()
Jeff Stomper ()
Mayflower Archaeology Project
College of Lake County
Social Sciences Division A/244
Grayslake, IL 60015
847-543-2941 or 847-543-2531
BELIZE ARCHAEOLOGY COURSE (June 12 - July 3)
APPLICATION FORM
Selection of Participants: Persons wishing to enroll in this course should fill out the below application form and return it with a $200.00 deposit to Wendy L. Brown, College of Lake County, 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, IL 60030. Make checks payable to the College of Lake County. Any person who is 18 years of age or older (and high school students 16 or 17 with appropriate approval) may apply. Enrollment is limited. Space will be reserved on a first come, first served basis by the date of receipt of the deposit.
Cancellation Fee Procedure: The College of Lake County retains the right to cancel the course at any time. If this occurs all payments will be returned (minus any non-refundable fees incurred through reservation requirements).
Payment/Refund Schedule: A $200.00 deposit is required no later than April 1, 2003 in order to hold your place in the course. To ensure your space it is recommended that your deposit be received as soon as possible as spaces will be reserved on a first come, first served basis by the date of receipt of the deposit. Deposits will be refunded only if cancellation is received prior to or on May 1, 2003, the course is canceled, or space is not available. Full payment is due by May 14, 2003.
Responsibility: The College of Lake County, The Mayflower Archaeological Project, and their agents and operators for this educational course are acting as booking agents for the owners, outfitters, operators, and contractors providing the transportation, accommodation, or other services. As such they are not responsible for any damage, loss, injury, expense, or inconvenience to or in respect of any person or property howsoever caused or arising or for any delays in transportation or consequence thereof. The College of Lake County and their representatives reserve the right to withdraw this course or any part of it. Also, to make such alterations in the itinerary as to them seems necessary or desirable, or to refuse to accept or retain as a member of the course, any person at any time. They also reserve the right to pass onto course members any expenditure occasioned by delays or events beyond their control. In case of any appreciable variation in cost increase, the right is reserved to make such adjustments as is necessary.
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Keep the above information for your records but mail this portion to Wendy L. Brown, Social Science Division, College of Lake County, 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, Illinois, 60030. All Checks should be made payable to 'The College of Lake County'
Please enroll me in the Program (ANT 226 and ANT 228). I understand the information stated above and I have enclosed the deposit of $200.00 to hold my place in the course
Name:Social Security #:Birth date:
Address: Phone Number:
Permanent Address & Phone Number:
Are you currently a College of Lake County student:YesNo
If yes, what is your CLC student ID ______
Passport number:
You need a passport to participate in this program. If you do not have one you should begin the application process as soon as possible. For Lake County, Illinois residence you can apply for your passport at the Lake County Court House, 18 N. County, Waukegan, IL. You will need to fill out an application form, have 2 passport-sized pictures of yourself, an official birth certificate, a $45.00 check, and $15.00 cash. After you have turned everything in your passport will be mailed to you in about 6 weeks. If you do not have 6 weeks, apply at the nearest federal building (e.g. Chicago).
Signature of Participant:
Signature of guardian (if under 18):
GENERAL INFORMATION ON
THE MAYFLOWER ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT
Located in the Stann Creek District of Belize are a group of three small to medium sized Maya centers - Mayflower, Maintzunun and T’au Witz, collectively referred to as the Mayflower sites. These sites are situated along Silk Grass Creek near the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Although Elizabeth Graham (1976, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1994) conducted a survey and mapping project with limited excavations of the entire Stann Creek District, including the Mayflower sites, her conclusions stressed the necessity for further intensive research. Apart from Graham’s district survey, the only other research done in the area was by J. MacKinnon (1985, 1989, 1990, 1991) at the coastal site of Point Placencia in the extreme southern region of the Stann Creek District. The Mayflower sites have received no further archaeological attention.
Graham’s preliminary work (1976, 1983) revealed that the Mayflower area was continually occupied from its initial settlement in Preclassic times through the Classic and the Postclassic period. Throughout this long history, power continually shifted among the three Mayflower sites. An important aspect of our project is to construct an accurate culture history of the area in order to better document these local shifts in power and prestige. This is best accomplished by excavating the core area of each site.
Furthermore, the Mayflower area contains a limited amount of cultivable land, yet appears to have been the locus of extensive settlement for hundreds of years. Not much is known of the ancient Mayflower population as Graham did little settlement survey beyond locating and mapping the principle mounds of each site. In order to understand the settlement patterning of the ancient population and the reason why these sites maintained such a long history, an extensive survey of the areas surrounding the site cores is needed.
While the Mayflower sites are relatively small, their research potential lies in examining their integration into the political and economic systems of larger Maya city-states. Preliminary analysis of chert, obsidian and ceramics indicates that these sites were involved in an extensive trade network that stretched from the Guatemalan Highlands to Northern Belize The Mayflower sites’ integration and role within this trade network need to be evaluated further.
The Mayflower Archaeological Project began its first field season in 1996. Our basic goals for the next 3-5 years includes examining the culture history, undertaking a settlement survey, and investigating contact with distant Maya sites. We have obtained the necessary permits from the Government of Belize to conduct survey and excavations in a 20 km2 area of the Stann Creek District, centering upon the Mayflower sites. In addition, the Government is the title holder to most of the land in this area. Previous field seasons focused on conducting accurate surveys of the Mayflower principal group and principal mounds, along with extensive excavation in the site cores. Once the core area was mapped, a systematic survey of the outlying areas was completed and all of the known visible structures were then mapped and surface samples were collected within a 1 km radius from the principal mounds. Concurrently, excavations have been conducted in the site core on selected buildings in order to begin investigations into the region’s culture history.
This season’s field school will continue this research.
In order to facilitate dissemination of the research, both traditional methods of publication as well as the creation of a repository for the findings on the Internet are considered vital. While many recent Maya studies focus upon large sites such as Copán and Dos Pilas, the Mayflower sites present a unique opportunity to examine the way in which smaller communities were integrated into the social and economic fabric of the Maya world.
GENERAL INFORMATION ON BELIZE
GEOGRAPHY: Belize (formerly British Honduras until its independence in 1981) is a country of approximately 9,000 square miles, located on the east coast of Central America on the Caribbean Sea. 750 miles from Miami, Houston and New Orleans, Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south. Belize possesses the largest living barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere (185 miles long). The land surface is flat along the coast and in the north. As you move inland, the land rises to 3,000 feet above sea level. The vast central and southern regions of the country are covered by tropical pine, hardwood, and rain forests.
CLIMATE: The climate is sub-tropical, with a brisk prevailing wind from the Caribbean Sea on the coast. Summer highs fluctuate between 95 and 100 degrees F. Winter lows are rarely below 60 degrees F. Annual rainfall ranges from 170 inches in the south to 50 inches in the north. The rainy season extends from June through August, with a short dry period in August.
POPULATION: The population of Belize is approximately 200,000 and is comprised of Creoles (African-European), Garifunas (African-Indian), Mestizos (Spanish-Indian), Mayas, Asians, and Europeans.
LANGUAGE: English is the official language and is widely spoken, as is Spanish. Maya, Garifuna, and Creole are also spoken.
CURRENCY: The Belize Dollar (BZ$) has a fixed rate of exchange of BZ$2 to US$1
ELECTRICITY: The current is the same as in the United States, 110 volts A.C. although electricity tends to be sporadic in some of the more remote areas.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: US citizens need a valid passport to enter Belize. They should also have a ticket to their onward destination and be able to demonstrate they have sufficient funds for their visit.
TIME: Time observed year round is GMT-6, which is the same as US Central Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time is not observed