The Lamanai
Archaeological Project
2008 Field School
May 19 - June 17, 2008
This web page will provide you with a brief, summary overview of the field school at Lamanai. Please contact Dr. Scott Simmons at simmonss AT uncw.edu or by telephone at 910.962.3429 for more detailed information. See Lamanai Archaeological Project for specific information on the Maya Archaeometallurgy Project at Lamanai.
View south of the New River Lagoon from atop Str. N10-43
(High Temple), Lamanai
The
Field School in Archaeology at Lamanai, Belize
2008
A Summary Overview
Introduction & Setting
The Field School in Archaeology at Lamanai, Belize is a hands-on training class
aimed at preparing students how to accomplish all aspects of archaeological
field and laboratory work. It is supported
by the Department of Anthropology and the Office of International Programs at
the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The 2008 archaeology field
school will run from May 19 to June 17, 2008 and, in contrast to years past,
will focus on artifact analyses and mapping portions of the Spanish Church Zone.
No excavations will be conducted at the site during the 2008 field season. The
course consists of lectures on a variety of topics related to archaeological
field and laboratory research as well as lectures and class discussions on a
range of topics on the natural and cultural history of the Maya area.
The overall aims of the Field School in Archaeology are to: a) provide
students with a thorough understanding and working knowledge of how
archaeological research is conducted in the field and the lab and; b) instruct
students how and why modern archaeological research is closely integrated with
environmental and other anthropological studies. Feel free to check out
images of the 2006 archaeology field school at Lamanai
here.
The setting for the course is the tropical environment of northern
Belize. Specifically, students will
be instructed in laboratory and field mapping methods and techniques at the ancient Maya site of
Lamanai, located in the Orange Walk District of northern Belize.
Located on the west bank of the New River Lagoon, Lamanai is one of the
largest and most prominent archaeological sites in Belize.
It was a major Maya center with an unbroken 3,000 year span of human
occupation, making it the longest continuously occupied site anywhere in the
ancient Maya world. The site is
administered by the Belize Institute of
Archaeology within the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve.
The Reserve is home to a wide variety of tropical plant and animal
species that occupy an array of microhabitats.
Cultural Immersion and
Language
Students will live as resident guests in the town
of Indian Church, a community comprised mainly of first and second generation
Guatemalan and Salvadoran refugees; the oldest of these people have lived in Belize since
1983. Many of these first generation residents are now Belizean citizens, and,
of course, all of their children and grandchildren born in Belize are citizens, as
well. Although English is the official language of Belize and the resident
students of Indian Church are taught English in school, Spanish is the
language that is most often used in the home and informally among the people of
community. As a result, many of the residents of Indian Church are
bilingual. Therefore, field school students have a unique opportunity to practice speaking
and learning the Spanish language in an informal, relaxed setting. In terms of
other aspects of cultural immersion, archaeology field school students eat all of their meals at a local
women’s cooperative, Las Orquidias, can attend church services on Sundays, and work directly with local Belizeans
in field and lab settings. Students also have
the opportunity to work with local artisans in the local craft workshop and play
football/soccer (fútbol) on the pitch in town.
Local dances are sometimes held in the village, and a final end-of-the-program
party (fiesta) is hosted by the women at Las Orquidias where Belizean
music is played by local musicians. In short, by living, eating and socializing
in the village, students are totally immersed in local Belizean culture.
Safety, Health, and Security Issues
Safety
is an important concern for the archaeology field school in Belize.
Students are advised on the kinds of physical labor that are entailed in
archaeological fieldwork (see below), and they are also advised of current field
conditions in northern Belize during the summer months (heat,
humidity, insects, etc.). Students are advised well before the program
begins on health issues, such as outbreaks of malaria, and are told they must
consult with their family physicians/health care providers prior to leaving the
country. Students are required to have an up-to-date tetanus shot, and it
is strongly recommended that they obtain a prescription for a malaria
prophylaxis prior to their departure date. Students are provided with
bottled drinking water in their houses and are provided with bottled drinking
water on-site as well. Arrangements will be made prior to the students’
arrival for emergency transportation to known locations of hospitals and clinics
in the event of a medical emergency. Students are met at the airport in
Belize City and transported directly to Indian Church Village. The village
is small in size and population (approximately 250 people). Crime is
almost unknown in the village. Nevertheless, students are advised to stay
together in groups at night, and not to be out late in the evening hours.
Dr. Simmons lives in a house in the village, so he is literally a stone’s throw
away in case of any emergency.
Student Grading
Student
participants will be graded in three ways for this course. One of their grades
will be based on the content and accuracy of their artifact data forms they
complete on materials excavated in previous field seasons at Lamanai. Students
will make drawings of artifacts, collect qualitative and quantitative data on
various classes of artifacts, create and maintain databases and make informal
notes on the lab and mapping methods they learn and use. Students will also
exhibit competency in use of a laser theodolite (total station) in mapping
ancient Maya structures in the Spanish Church Zone. Another of their grades for
the course will be derived from an oral presentation of a research topic of
their choosing. Student oral presentations will be delivered to members of
Indian Church Village, the Las Orquidias Women’s Cooperative group, and other
interested individuals. These 10-15 minute oral presentations will be the
culmination of research each student participant will conduct while in Belize on
a topic related to archaeology or anthropology. Student grades for the research
and oral presentation will be based on the completeness and accuracy of the
information they present. Finally, students will be graded on their class
participation and general attitude during the four-week course. Student
participation in all activities is expected, as is a positive attitude and
demeanor.
Dr. Scott Simmons has conducted archaeological research in Belize since 1986, and at Lamanai since 1998. He is the Archaeology Field School Director and Co-Principal Investigator at Lamanai (along with Dr. Elizabeth Graham). Dr. Simmons is responsible for all aspects of the field school course, including lectures on archaeology and Maya anthropology, in-field instruction and supervision, and direction of all laboratory work. He is assisted by Ms. Laura Howard, M.S. Ms. Howard has co-directed the archaeology field school at Lamanai since its inception in 1997, and has conducted research in Belize since 1990. Both have co-directed archaeology field schools at Lamanai in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In those five years well over 100 students have participated in the Lamanai archaeology field school in Belize.
Ms. Laura Howard looking out on the plaza and Str.
N10-9 (Jaguar Temple), Lamanai, Belize
Field School Essentials
Application Form
Medical Form
Climate
and General Health
Tentative Schedule/Course Syllabus
Life in Indian Church Village
and Belize
Some Tips for Enjoying your Field School Experience
General
Information About Belize
Location of Lamanai, Belize