Belize Valley Archaeological
Reconnaissance Project
Fieldwork Opportunities
In 2008 BVAR hosted its 20th summer field school. Our fieldwork in ‘08 continued at both Baking Pot and Cahal Pech. The Baking Pot site is located on the outskirts of the modern town of San Ignacio, while Cahal Pech is located in the center of town. The two sites are in the Cayo District of Belize, Central America (click here for a location map and general info on Belize).
In 2009, BVAR’s operations will once again focus on the site of Baking Pot. Baking Pot is one of the largest sites in the Belize Valley and served as the capital to a small kingdom in the Classic period (c. AD 250-830). Despite many years of investigations conducted at Baking Pot, large portions of the monumental site core remain unexcavated and portions of the settlement area remain unexplored. Although it stands out as one of the few remaining unlooted sites of central Belize, agricultural activity has impacted the smaller household structures on the outskirts of the site core. While we continuously follow up on excavations of the main palace complex of the site in order to gain a better understanding of the physical and functional properties of Baking Pot’s ancient royal court, our main focus in 2009 will be in the site’s periphery.
In 2007 we initiated a comprehensive program of settlement excavations in the epicenter and core of Baking Pot. This research aimed to survey a 9 km2 core area centered on the monumental epicenter of Baking Pot and to test 20% of the intervening house groups at the site. In 2008 this portion of the settlement survey was completed, as well as the area to the east, linking up the Baking Pot survey with Gordon Willey’s survey at Barton Ramie. Settlement excavations began in 2007 and will run through the 2009 field season, investigating a stratified random sample of housemounds across the settlement. More extensive excavations of select house groups will also be conducted in order to better understand changes in domestic and community organization of the site across time. This research seeks to complement ongoing and past research in the monumental core of the site, providing a balanced view of social change across socioeconomic groups.
The investigations include extensive stratigraphic excavations, testing of architecture by means of trenching, as well as mapping of the archaeological features and architectural remains uncovered. Students will be involved in all aspects of the archaeological investigations, from the setting of excavation units to the production of site maps. The project also incorporates daily laboratory work where students participate in the processing and inventorying of the artifacts recovered from the site (including a range of ceramic and lithic artifacts as well as human and animal remains). Weekly lectures will present an overview of Maya civilization and will provide introductions to other specific topics such as ceramic typology, archaeological survey methods, human osteology, and Maya ritual and ideology.
Affiliation:
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The BVAR excavations function as the
official field school of the Belize Institute of Archaeology
(IOA). The IOA is the government institution that manages
the preservation and development of Belize's rich and diverse
archaeological heritage. It has been active since its founding
in 1955 (in its former guise as the Department
of Archaeology). |
Facilities:
The cost of the field school covers weekly room and board. Accommodation during the work week is provided by hotel facilities in the town of San Ignacio. Rooms will also be provided for students choosing not to travel during the weekends. Daily meals consist primarily of local fare and dinners of buffet-style Belizean cuisine.
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Travel:
Travel to and from the archaeological
site is provided on a daily basis. No work is conducted on
weekends and thus no transportation is provided on Saturdays
and Sundays. At the start of each session attendees will also
be greeted at the International airport in Belize City and
shuttled to our headquarters in San Ignacio, the capital of
the Cayo District (see
map here). Those wishing to make alternate travel plans
to San Ignacio may do so, providing they arrive in time for
the start of the session.
Travel
to and from Belize forms part of the incidental expenses of
the participant. In addition, we help plan to organize optional
weekend tours with local travel agents and tour guides to
the important sites of Caracol in western Belize and Tikal
in neighboring Guatemala. Over the long weekend in the third
week of each session, students traditionally also take a trip to
the island Cayes (pronounced "Keys") along Belize's Caribbean
coast. This optional trip, however, is also not covered by
the fees and students may wish to take this opportunity to
explore other parts of Belize, or neighboring Mexico and Guatemala.
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Lectures:
Several lectures are given as part of
the field school curriculum and students will be assessed
by the content of their field notebooks as well as written
exams. Informal on-site lectures will include an introduction
to site reconnaissance, survey, excavation unit set-up, and
the mapping of archaeological features in section and in plan.
Formal lectures given during the work week will include
an overview and introduction to Maya prehistory, spanning
from the Paleoindian phase to the Late Postclassic / early
Colonial period. Specific thematic lectures will focus on
architecture, ceramic remains, osteology, and hieroglyphic
writing. Lab sessions will cover basic finds processing and
inventory as well as preliminary artifact analyses. Based
on interest we can accommodate lectures on artifact illustration.
Students are advised that they will be expected to keep up
with required reading and will have to bring the course notebook
to the field with them to read at the end of the workday.
In
addition, this year the 7th Annual Belize Archaeology Symposium
will be held from the 30th of June to the 3rd of July (the week between our two sessions). This is an ideal
way to gain a good perspective on the archaeology that has
taken place during the course of the previous year. These
presentations allow you to be one of the first to find out
about the newest interpretations and discoveries made. Participation
costs are incidental and details will be posted once these
become available.
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Notice!
Please
read carefully before you consider filling out our application.
Thank you for your interest in our project.
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All
applicants must be at least 18 years old and in sufficient
good health to deal with the rigors of this project. |
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Field
archaeology is physically, emotionally and mentally
challenging. |
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It
is imperative that applicants be prepared to meet
these challenges. |
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Registration
fees cover weekly lodgings, weekday meals, as well
as transportation to and from the site. |
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Travel
to and from Belize as well as other incidental expenses
are the responsibility of the participant. |
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The minimum length of stay is two weeks (for pedagogical
and logistical reasons). |
Further
details are provided in the application form (click
here).
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Available Programs
Participation on the
BVAR project can take a number of forms. Which one suits
your needs and time constraints?
Option
One - 4 Weeks
This option
is designed for extensive exposure to archaeological methods
and techniques. This option spans over a four week duration
and includes extensive training in archaeological field
techniques: reconnaissance, survey, excavation, and artifact
processing. This option forms a complete curriculum including
all lectures, site tours and written exams. This option
is tailored for students wishing to obtain academic credit
for this field course. Nonetheless this option is also suitable
for enthusiasts seeking in-depth exposure to archaeological
field experience.
Session 1: 1 June to 26 June, 2009
Session 2: 6 July to 31 July, 2009
Cost: $1950.00 USD
Option
Two - 2 Weeks
This
option forms a basic introduction to field research techniques
and spans the first two weeks of either session. All the
introductory lectures to archaeological methods and most
site tours are provided during the first two weeks of each
session. For those wishing to get a good "feel" for how
archaeology works in a short period of time, this option
is ideal.
Session 1: 1 June to 12 June, 2009
Session 2: 6 July to 17 July, 2009
Cost: $975.00 USD
Option
Three - Customized
If
you are interested in a customized stay with the project,
submit your proposed dates of stay with your application.
However, all stays must be for a minimum of two weeks (and
preferably two weeks of 'Option Two'; see above) in order
to include a solid introduction to archaeological methods
before proceeding to the field component. In addition, all
customized stays are by week-long increments over the course
of the field season. Please note that the Seventh Annual Belizean Archaeology Symposium spans the intra-session week (from 30 June to 3 July inclusive). As a result this slot
is not available as part of the 'Customized' Option.
Session(s):
A combination of week-long increments between 1 June and 31 July 2009. (Note that the week of 29 June to 3 July is not available on account of the Belize Archaeology Symposium)
Cost: Variable
(at a cost of $487.50 USD per week)
Information
For
more information on BVAR please contact us:
Late
Classic figurine fragment
from Xunantunich.
Drawing by G. Valenzuela.
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