Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Green and Blue Versions of the Same Person
Now that the internet has finally arrived to Casa Zotz...
The Rainforest? That sounds wet.
Due to a few tropical depressions/storms/hurricanes (one of which was ironically named Arthur), we cut our field season short after five solid days of rain, flooding roads, campsites, and even latrines (don't ask). However, for a first run at excavation and coordinating logistics, everything was largely successful.
!!BATTERY DEAD!!
My foray into surveying with total station was a mix of excitement, frustration, yelling, and an intense desire to destroy expensive optical equipment. I suppose that sounds more negative than positive, but I actually got into a rhythm that worked before the rains washed away my motivation. Here is what I saw 90% of the time for a few weeks:
To E or not to E
Other interesting things came up during our mapping and preliminary excavations. It seems that the site I'm working on is an excellent case study to examine the transition into the Classic Maya Period (ca. AD 250), especially looking at environmental and perhaps sociopolitical changes in the region. Here is a look at the team of excavators:
Although the site is not heavily looted, there are a few places where looters have uncovered some very well-preserved architecture.
Also, it looks as though a solar observational building complex (a.k.a. "E-Group") exists, possibly to observe the sun rise over a large seasonal swamp, visible in Google Earth and shown from ground level below.
And finally, we explored a very large platform complex, with evidence of water management, that merits further attention next season. It rises sharply from the edge of the swamp:
And contains some very well preserved architecture. My adviser noted that the buildings at the sight have a sort of "melted" quality that indicates a depth of time since its last use.
Baatz'.
Overall, it was a very positive first field season. Now we turn attention to preparing reports for the Guatemalan government and presentations for the Symposium of Archaeological Investigations of Guatemala at the end of the summer.
Saludos,
J. o. t. J.
The Rainforest? That sounds wet.
Due to a few tropical depressions/storms/hurricanes (one of which was ironically named Arthur), we cut our field season short after five solid days of rain, flooding roads, campsites, and even latrines (don't ask). However, for a first run at excavation and coordinating logistics, everything was largely successful.
!!BATTERY DEAD!!
My foray into surveying with total station was a mix of excitement, frustration, yelling, and an intense desire to destroy expensive optical equipment. I suppose that sounds more negative than positive, but I actually got into a rhythm that worked before the rains washed away my motivation. Here is what I saw 90% of the time for a few weeks:
To E or not to EOther interesting things came up during our mapping and preliminary excavations. It seems that the site I'm working on is an excellent case study to examine the transition into the Classic Maya Period (ca. AD 250), especially looking at environmental and perhaps sociopolitical changes in the region. Here is a look at the team of excavators:
Although the site is not heavily looted, there are a few places where looters have uncovered some very well-preserved architecture.
Also, it looks as though a solar observational building complex (a.k.a. "E-Group") exists, possibly to observe the sun rise over a large seasonal swamp, visible in Google Earth and shown from ground level below.
And finally, we explored a very large platform complex, with evidence of water management, that merits further attention next season. It rises sharply from the edge of the swamp:
And contains some very well preserved architecture. My adviser noted that the buildings at the sight have a sort of "melted" quality that indicates a depth of time since its last use.
Baatz'.
Overall, it was a very positive first field season. Now we turn attention to preparing reports for the Guatemalan government and presentations for the Symposium of Archaeological Investigations of Guatemala at the end of the summer.
Saludos,
J. o. t. J.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Time for Methods not Theory!
Waiting for my flight to "the field." (Well actually, to Singapore from where I'll be heading to Bangalore and then finally to Calcutta sometime next week...) But still, exciting to finally be heading out rather than sitting around trying to write a final paper while mindlessly staring into space. Having said that I'm trying to shift gears from "theory" to "methods" and feeling overwhelmed... Fieldnotes? Interviews? Participant observation? What??? Oh dear.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Have Survived Jungle, Please Send Beers
Dear Cohort (and anyone else who maybe reads our blog, Hi Mom!):
Sorry for the long radio silence; things were so crazy at the start of our trip that we never saw internet again after leaving Providence and then, obviously, we were in the jungle for a long long time. But we´re back, now with extra bug bites!
We left camp this morning and spent several hours driving/stuck in mud up to the truck´s axels, but now we´re recuperating in the relative luxury of a hotel in the lovely island town of Flores, Guatemala. Showers have been taken, real food eaten, and a few cold beers have even been consumed. I might be a little guilty of tracking mud all over the otherwise clean floors.
We have some gooood jungle stories and retroactive blog posts saved up, but will probably have to keep saving them until we get ourselves organized and back to Guatemala City (sometime in the next couple of days, maybe). Mostly, I just wanted to let you all know that we survived and that our field season was successful. Here are some topics to look forward to in future posts:
-Bugs, bugs, and more bugs
-Other jungle animals
-James´s jungle beard
-The effects of hurricanes on archaeologists
-Stuff We Done Dug Up
-Etc.
I hope you all are doing well, wherever you may be—I miss you all greatly and look forward to many stories of you adventures!
Besos,
Caitlin and James
Sorry for the long radio silence; things were so crazy at the start of our trip that we never saw internet again after leaving Providence and then, obviously, we were in the jungle for a long long time. But we´re back, now with extra bug bites!
We left camp this morning and spent several hours driving/stuck in mud up to the truck´s axels, but now we´re recuperating in the relative luxury of a hotel in the lovely island town of Flores, Guatemala. Showers have been taken, real food eaten, and a few cold beers have even been consumed. I might be a little guilty of tracking mud all over the otherwise clean floors.
We have some gooood jungle stories and retroactive blog posts saved up, but will probably have to keep saving them until we get ourselves organized and back to Guatemala City (sometime in the next couple of days, maybe). Mostly, I just wanted to let you all know that we survived and that our field season was successful. Here are some topics to look forward to in future posts:
-Bugs, bugs, and more bugs
-Other jungle animals
-James´s jungle beard
-The effects of hurricanes on archaeologists
-Stuff We Done Dug Up
-Etc.
I hope you all are doing well, wherever you may be—I miss you all greatly and look forward to many stories of you adventures!
Besos,
Caitlin and James
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A Roof with a View
No great insights to share, but I thought I'd post a few photos from the rooftop patio at Braulio and Bacilica's house (where I'm staying). Unfortunately, these photos don't really do the Cordillera de los Andes justice...
El Alto homes are frequently a mix of adobe, brick and plaster...like my neighbors' home.
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