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Maya Weekend 2008 Ricardo Agurcia Fasquelle Abstract Honduras is one of the poorest nations in Latin America. In rural areas such as that of the Copán Valley in western Honduras, the situation is even worse. It is here that Copán is found. These ancient Maya ruins are the most important pre-Columbian patrimony for Honduras and the principal cultural attraction for tourism in the country. It is also one of the main cornerstones for the socio-economic development of western Honduras and a key player in the incipient formation of national identity for this young nation. The traditional agricultural practices, which once used to provide a marginal livelihood for the rural farmers of this area (many of whom identify themselves as “Chortí Maya”), today, prove insufficient. A rapid growing population, combined with limited access to land and the demise of many of the cash-crops of the past (mostly tobacco and coffee) have come together to paint a very bleak picture for the poor of this region. One of the few alternatives for the area is the fast-growing tourism industry at the World Heritage Site. This has already supported a significant growth in tourism services, and promises to be a viable economic alternative for the region. The central and municipal governments, along with NGO’s and Copan’s civil society are working to enhance non-farming economic activity, diversify employment, and foster enterprise development in a sustainable fashion. Based on personal experience and a profound commitment to conservation and rational use of archaeological resources, a first hand view of Copan as a case study for community development is presented here. Many of the major archaeological finds of Copan of the past twenty years and particularly those of the ongoing Copan Valley Project (PDRVC) are discussed within this framework. Greg Borgstede Abstract The US Government has long had a vested interest in the politics and affairs of Latin America, including that of cultural heritage in the Maya World. As with international relations in all arenas, cultural heritage activities must carefully navigate the crosscurrents of agendas and efforts of international bodies, such as UNESCO, on the one hand, and sovereign, self-interested States, on the other. The US Department of State manages this balance in the Maya World through international instruments, such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, and its relations with the individual States of the Maya World—Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize. The constant, and often countervailing, pressures of internationalization and national interest in cultural heritage are mitigated through a complex set of procedures, laws, and agreements, as well as through a reliance on non-governmental stakeholders. This presentation outlines the role of the US Department of State within the cultural heritage arena relative to the Maya World. It outlines the current processes and instruments in place that the US government relies upon for its positions in cultural heritage discussions. It details the formal relationships the United States currently has with sovereign states in the Maya World relative to cultural heritage, focusing on how the past, both archaeologically and historically / culturally, has shaped the current relationship. It then discusses the responsibilities and limitations of the US government in relation to the Maya World, as well as efforts to draw and rely upon the non-governmental sectors in cultural heritage. Recommended Books: Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World. (2006) Roger Atwood. St. Martin’s Press. Cristina Coc Abstract The central theme of my talk will surround the history of the Land Rights movement in southern Belize for the Q'eqchi and Mopan Maya. I will also discuss the circumstances surrounding the momentous victory of the Maya of Santa Cruz and Conejo in their recent land rights lawsuit before the Supreme Court of Belize. In addition i want to focus my concluding remarks on investigating the future of the Maya of Belize as they enter a new phase of their struggle to ensure a political victory in defense of their customary rights to land and resources and diginity as direct decendants of a once great civilization. A part of my presentation will feature a short video documentary (~16 minutes) which gives an insight of the livihoods of present day Maya of Belize. Barbara W. Fash and Alexandre Tokovinine Abstract Once reserved for the realm of aerospace and automotive industries, 3D scanning has stormed into the humanities in the 21st century. 3D imaging coupled with rapid prototyping has replaced the plaster cast technology of days gone by and promises to be the tool of choice for recording and preserving Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions into the future. Virtual images allow researchers to rotate and study monuments in minute detail long after their garrapata bites have healed. The authors will discuss the many benefits and challenges to the storage, presentation, and dissemination of data and highlight recent projects undertaken by the CMHI. Anabel Ford Abstract The Maya forest, once home to the ancient Maya civilization, is now the focus of intense management scrutiny and pressures of growing local land use needs. Adapting to the changing conditions and managing with more flexible designs is a crucial requirement to meet both short-term and long-term development objectives. To accomplish both resource conservation and human development, innovative management planning with strategic and dynamic designs need to be encouraged. This is precisely what the El Pilar Program has been promoting. Over the past ten years, the innovations of the El Pilar Program have constructed an interdisciplinary progressive strategy for the El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna. El Pilar is now destined as a tourism destination, and the vision for that destination is to create new and innovative management designs that are inclusive of the regional qualities and the local traditions. The aim is to landscape the ancient monuments with the forest garden practice. Charles Golden Abstract For ancient Maya kingdoms such as Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan perched along the banks of the Usumacinta River control over this riverine highway and its adjacent valleys was critical to building and maintaining political dominance in the region. For modern Mexico and Guatemala, separated by a stone’s throw across the Usumacinta, the same landscape has become a potent symbol of state authority, or perhaps the lack thereof. The Usumacinta is the last great river in the region that has not been dammed for power, in large part because of grass-roots resistance and the difficulties of formulating the prerequisite binational agreements. The river has also become an east-west highway, crossed daily by illegal immigrants, drugs, and other contraband heading north. Even as the governments of Guatemala and Mexico are challenged to control this permeable border, both countries continue efforts to protect their natural and cultural patrimony through the establishment and maintenance of national parks and international biospheres. What, then, will the future bring along the Usumacinta? Will the river be dammed? Will protection efforts trump illegal activities? What role will local communities play in deciding the river’s future? In this presentation I will look to the ancient and more recent past of this volatile region to imagine some of the possible futures of the Usumacinta River. Recommended Books: “Sacred Monkey River” by Christopher Shaw Barbara Knoke de Arathoon Abstract Unlike stone and pottery, Maya textiles have not survived from the Pre-Columbian era, yet painted and carved images from the past show the beginnings of the Maya textile tradition. Ceramic figurines depict Maya women weaving with backstrap looms in the same manner that women work today. The legacy of ancient Maya weavers is present in the vibrant clothing worn by their modern descendants. Their art is a thread that bonds the Maya throughout history. Since the end of the 19th century, the handwoven Maya clothing changed little through the years because of the relative isolation of the highland weaving communities. The women wore a village-specific traje or costume and daughters wore what their mothers wore; many men also had their own attire. However, today, with paved roads, better communication between villages and a wider exposure to the outside world, the traditional traje of the Maya as a symbol of local identity is changing with great rapidity and in some cases disappearing altogether. Since the late 1970s the pace of change has even accelerated more so, giving rise to the construction of new modes of identity. This is reflected in a more widespread diffusion of modern styles like pan-Maya and generalized traje. Join us in a presentation on the on-going efforts undertaken by the Museo Ixchel of Guatemala to preserve and document this legacy of tradition and modernity. Recommended Books: Ardren, Traci, editor. Flowers for the Earth Lord. Guatemalan Textiles from the Permanent Collection. Coral Gables, Florida: The Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, 2006. Mireille Holsbeke and Julia Montoya, editors. With Their Hands and Their Eyes. Antwerp, Belgium: Ethnographic Museum, 2003. Knoke de Arathoon, Barbara, John Willemsen and Nancie Solien de González, editors. Mayan Clothing and Weaving through the Ages. Guatemala: Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena, 1999. Hendrickson, Carol. Weaving Identities. Construction of Dress and Self in a Highland Guatemala Town. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995. Altman, Patricia B. and Caroline D. West. Threads of Identity. Maya Costume of the 1960’s in Highland Guatemala. Los Angeles, California: Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, 1992. Looper, Mathew G. Birds and Thorns. Textile Designs of San Martín Sacatepéquez. Guatemala City: Editorial Antigua, S. A, 2004 . Annis, Sheldon. God and Production in a Guatemalan Town. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1987. Richard M. Leventhal Abstract The history of the ancient Maya people can be used in the 21st century to create a future for the modern Maya. Combining the past and the present contributes to a richer understanding of the one of the great cultures of the world. Three of the most important questions about the ancient Maya in the world today are: 1. How can the archaeological sites and artifacts of the ancient Maya world best be preserved? In this presentation, Leventhal will discuss each of these questions and will examine both the past failures and the successes of site and cultural interpretation and preservation. In addition, the question of who controls and interpretation and presentation of the past will be discussed especially in light of several new Hollywood movies. Was Apocalypto really that bad? What about National Treasure: Book of Secrets where some sort of ancient Mesoamerican architecture and civilization was secretly buried underneath Mount Rushmore? An understanding of the glorious past of the Maya world must be viewed in relation to the cultural and economic future of the modern Maya people of Central America. But financial viability should be intimately connected to development and growth of a cultural identity for the Maya in the modern world. Joel W. Palka Abstract Previous generations of anthropologists believed that the Lacandon, who speak a dialect of Yucatec Maya, were the direct descendents of Classic Maya in southeastern Chiapas Mexico. It has also been proposed that the Lacandon are descendants from ancient or historic Yucatec-speaking Maya in the area. However, we believe that the Lacandon emerged as a distinct society in the Spanish Colonial Period as a result of interaction between different Maya groups and that this hypothesis can be tested archaeologically and ethnographically. The seemingly sudden appearance of the Lacandon Maya in late Colonial Period documents (c. 1780’s) fits current models of ethnogenesis in a frontier area in which there are multi-cultural interactions occurring in contested territory. The lowland Lacandon forest of the Lake Mensäbäk region was inhabited by several Maya groups such as the Ch’ol and Tzeltal. However, the indigenous populations were assimilated or relocated by the mid-1700’s, creating a free Maya territory in the Lacandon rainforest. Indigenous people entered this region from surrounding areas, mainly the Chiapas highlands, lowland Guatemala, and southern Yucatan. The Lake Mensabak region was one such area of convergence, as indicated by the rich variety of archaeological sites in the area located in our 2006 survey. In that survey, the team investigated six archaeological sites, probably Late and Post Classic, a cave site, and documented two Lacandon rock shelter shrines with paintings first described at the end of the nineteenth century. We believe excavations at these sites will provide us with an overview of the occupational history of the area, and because Lacandon ceramics are made in a distinctive style, we hope to precisely fix the time of Lacandon settlement. The collection of Lacandon oral histories and folklore concerning the cave and archaeological sites will also allow us to compare Lacandon understandings of their settlement of the area with the archaeological and historical records. Recommended Readings: Cusick, James G. (ed.) Hill, Jonathan D. (editor) Jones, Grant D. McGee, R. Jon Palka, Joel, Marie Claire Paiz Abstract From Southern Mexico through Honduras, from lowlands to highlands, the landscape is dotted with ancient Mayan sites amidst vast expanses of forest. In Mesoamerica, nature and people have been historically connected and the forests of this region have an indelible mark of human presence. The future of both is inexorably intertwined, for the good and bad. As a nature conservation organization, The Nature Conservancy realizes the importance of connecting forest protection with different aspects of the cultural environment - archeological preservation, understanding nature-centered indigenous customs and protecting “cultural landscapes.” In this talk, I will present some examples of how, in collaboration with many other groups in the region, we have been moving forward in developing the field of “nature-culture” conservation. Payson Sheets Abstract The Ceren site is an extraordinarily well-preserved ancient village of commoners on the southeastern periphery of the Maya area. The architecture was ample and earthquake-resistant, the households were well furnished, and abundant food was grown in and around the village. The material indices inform us that the standard of living was higher in the ancient past than that of commoners in the area today. We involve local residents in a wide range of activities. The artifacts have been conserved and are under good curation in the national museum, but the buildings are in the open air and are suffering. A site management plan has been developed, within a regional management plan, that in theory provide an ideal future for the site. In reality its long term future remains in doubt, as different conservation strategies are employed. Recommended Readings: Sheets, Payson (Editor) Sheets, Payson Sheets, Payson Joanne Baron Hieroglyph Workshop Photographs and drawings are great for reading Maya glyphs. But sometimes you just want to see the real thing! Get up close and personal to some real inscriptions in the Mesoamerican gallery of the Penn Museum. We’ll look at the texts ourselves, then learn what epigraphers have said about them. Experience texts the way they were meant to be experienced: in stone. And learn about the process epigraphers go through to record them for future generations. Previous workshop experience will be helpful, but all skill levels are welcome. John Harris Hieroglyph Workshop - Intermediate This hands-on workshop will offer attendees several Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions for analysis. Participants are expected to be familiar with Maya calendrics and the basic features of the Maya hieroglyphic writing system. Analyses of the texts and the history they contain will be discussed. Recommended Readings: Harris, John F., and Steven Stearns Martin, Simon, and Nikolai Grube Coe, Michael D., and Mark Van Stone Simon Martin Hieroglyph Workshop - Beginning In this introductory-level workshop attendees will be taken through the various Marc Zender Hieroglyph Workshop - Advanced Abstract Underlying Maya cosmology, history and religion are several key mythological narratives explaining the origins of the world, humanity and civilized/moral behavior. Classic Maya writing and art provide our most important windows into these narratives, identifying key mythological characters by name, attribute or association. Occasionally these figures have survived in more or less recognizable form in colonial or modern traditions -- as with the Storm God (Chaak) and the Sky God (Itzamna in Colonial sources). More often they have not, and the sum total of our knowledge of their role in the mythology comes from careful study of the texts and art in which they occur. Such is the case with K'awiil, Juun Ixiim and God L, complex entities who defy the simple labels of "Lightning God," "Maize God" and "Merchant God of the Underworld." Beginning with a review of what is currently known about the major gods, places and events of Maya mythology, this seminar-style workshop focuses on an investigation of what might be termed the "lost gods" of this canon. Recent discoveries concerning the Old Deer God, the Principal Bird Deity, and Gods D and N are highlighted. A secondary but equally important focus stems from questions about the nature of the mythological narratives, particularly with respect to subtle variations in theme and focus in different regions. Was there ever a single, unified Maya mythology? Suggested readings: Miller, Mary and Simon Martin Robicsek, Francis and Donald Hales Stuart, David Taube, Karl
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