The Institute of Maya Studies and the First Loan of a Stela to a Foreign Museum
Presented at:
Maya at the Playa 2015 on September 18, 2015
Palm Coast, Fl
In March of 1972, the very first Institute of Maya Studies (IMS) newsletter reported that it's Board Members had negotiated with Guatemala's government the loan, for the first time ever to another country, of a Maya stela to IMS and the Miami Museum of Science. This is the story of three stelae, and the creation of an exhibit at the Miami Science Museum, sponsored by the Institute of Maya Studies, called the Maya Plaza. It involves the recovery of looted stela, a precedent-setting criminal case on antiquities theft, restoration by drilling holes in stela on purpose and a live quetzal at a dinner party. (1 hour)
Cotton and Mesoamerica
Presentated at:
Maya at the Playa 2012 on September 30, 2012
When you hear about Mesoamerican agriculture you think of corn, but modern cotton is a Mesoamerican development. The oldest known cotton textiles come from a cave near Tehuacán, Mexico and have been dated to around 5800 BC. Over 90% of the world’s cotton crop is made up of Gossypium hirsutum, which is native to Mexico and Central America. And G. barbadense, which is believed to come from Peru, makes up most of the rest of the crop. Modern commercial cotton is white, but varieties developed in Ancient America include white, brown, green, red and shades of these colors. This presentation will discuss the history of cotton in the Americas and its relationship to
modern cotton. Photographs and where possible samples of cotton in several colors will be included.
Evolution of Images in Documentation of the Maya
Presented at:
Maya at the Playa 2014 on September 28, 2014
Palm Coast, Fl
Over 150 years ago, Frederick Catherwood’s images helped introduce the world to the Maya. As technology has improved new types of images have been critical to the advancement of Maya studies. First with the camera lucida that helped increase the accuracy of drawings, then with the introduction of photgraphy and more recently with digital images and 3D scanning. This presentation will look at the technologies that have provided new ways to document and analyze Maya artifacts through images. (1 hour)
Rio Bec Temple B and a showing of the film the "Mystery of the Maya"
Presentated at:
Maya at the Playa 2011, September 2011
Temple B at Rio Bec is significant in Maya history because its design serves as the basis for the Rio Bec architectural style. Discovered in 1912 by Dr. Raymond Merwin and Clarence Hay and subsequently "lost" in Mayan history, Temple B was the subject of a 60-year search until it was rediscovered in 1973 by Hugh and Suzanne Johnston, documentary filmmakers. Their research, assisted by Princeton art historian Gillett Griffin, was documented in the film "Mystery of the Maya" and was broadcast nationally on PBS. Not shown for many years until now, a third of this film involves locating Temple B, with the remainder documenting Maya research of the time. In addition to the viewing of this historic film, an update on the history of Temple B and its restoration will be presented.
Life at a Remote Archaeology Site
Life at a remote archaeology site, my time at the Holmul Archaeological Project sites.
With Keith Merwin, webmaster for the Institute of Maya Studies.
Presentated to the Institute of Maya Studies, Miami, FL on November 20, 2013
Have you wondered what it is like at a remote archaeology site during the work season? What is the work like? What do you eat? How rough are the living conditions? This presentation will provide one person’s answers to these questions.
Revisiting an early Maya Expedition
Presentated at:
Maya at the Playa 2010, September 30, 2010
In 1909, Dr Alfred M. Tozzer and Raymond E. Merwin left Harvard University on expedition for the Peabody Museum. The main goal of their expedition was to produce a map of Tikal and complete the work needed to publish the Museum's report started by Teobert Maler. During the expedition they visited the site of Nakum, a visit that would provide the information needed to produce a report in the Museum Memoirs on that site. The discovery of the city of Holmul was the high point for Raymond of the trip as he noted in his personal journal.
Using information from Raymond's unpublished journal, in 2009, Keith Merwin retraced the expedition, visiting both Boston and Central America. Starting with a visit to Harvard University to dig through the Peabody Museum's archives, Keith found records of the official reports prepared by Raymond following each expedition. Many items of Holmul ceramics brought back by Raymond have been on display at the Museum since the 1930s. The trip to Guatemala included visits to Nakum, Yaxha, Tikal and Holmul. Dr Francisco Estrada-Belli of Boston University, who heads the Holmul Archaeological Project, was host for the visit to Holmul. At Nakum, Guatemalan archaeologist Vilma Fialko provided a tour of the lab and artifact storage area. The presentation summarizes the information gathered during these trips.
Holmul: Revisiting an early Maya Expedition
Presentation done at the Institute of Maya Studies
on June 15, 2011
In 1909, Dr Alfred M. Tozzer and Raymond E. Merwin left Harvard University on expedition for the Peabody Museum. The main goal of their expedition was to produce a map of Tikal and complete the work needed to publish the Museum's report started by Teobert Maler. During the expedition they visited the site of Nakum, a visit that would provide the information needed to produce a report in the Museum Memoirs on that site. The discovery of the city of Holmul was the high point for Raymond of the trip as he noted in his personal journal.
Early Maya Ruins at Holmul, Guatemala
Presented for the Jacksonville Society
Archaeological Institute of America on April 26, 2014
In 1910, Harvard’s Peabody Museum Expedition investigated, a small buried structure named Building B of Group II. It would be the first structure to be scientifically studied in the Maya lowlands. This study would produce many surprises. It provided the first proof that the Maya built new structures on top of existing structures. It also provided the first burial found inside a structure and not just one burial but six burials containing 22 skeletons. These burials contained the first polychrome ceramics found. The large and varied selection of ceramics produced the first ceramic sequence. Yet, one hundred years later the same structure provided an additional early burial, the largest sample of Pre-Mamon ceramics in the Lowlands and a pair of large witz masks dating from 400 B.C. This lecture reviews what we have learned from this small structure located at a small and remote Maya site.
Jacksonville Society
Archaeological Institute of America
Lectures are held in building 51 (Social Sciences) on the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville.
http://www.aiajax.org/upcoming-lectures.html
A Visit to Nakum, Guatemala
Institute of Maya Studies Presentation from September 19, 2012:
“A Visit to Nakum, Guatemala” with our IMS webmaster Keith Merwin
The Maya site of Nakum is located in the northeastern Petén, Guatemala. Along with Yaxhá and Naranjo, it makes up the Parque Triángulo, or Triangle Park.
Building B Group II at Holmul
Ruin B of Group II at Holmul
Presented at:
Maya at the Playa 2013 on September 26-29, 2013
Palm Coast, Fl
In 1910, Harvard’s Peabody Museum Expedition investigated, a small buried structure named Ruin B of Group II. It would be the first structure to be scientifically studied in the Maya lowlands. This study would produce many surprises. It provided the first proof that the Maya built new structures on top of existing structures. It also provided the first burial found inside a structure and not just one burial but six burials containing 22 skeletons. These burials contained the first polychrome ceramics found. The large and varied selection of ceramics produced the first ceramic sequence. Yet, one hundred years later the same structure provided an additional early burial, the largest sample of Pre-Mamon ceramics in the Lowlands and a pair of large witz masks dating from 400 B.C. This paper reviews what we have learned for this small structure located at a small and remote Maya site. (1 hour)
