AFAR Research Conferences
Although launched as a means to train students for field work in Belize, our conferences have grown to become one of the most important and informative explorations of Mayan Archaeology.
AFAR hosts a gathering of a large number of the world’s top scholars in the field of Maya archaeology and culture to share their knowledge with professionals, students, and members of the community. These weekend-long events have provided scholars with a venue to collaborate with peers, test their theories, and gather support for their research. On the flip side; students and enthusiasts are given a chance to fuel their interests by participating in academic lectures, workshops, and performances. In addition, the conferences have evolved to become a great social venue for individuals with archaeological interests.
Maya at the Playa
AFAR’s first dive into hosting Maya Research-themed conferences was in the form of the Maya at the Playa Conference. The Maya at the Playa Conference took place annually in Palm Coast, Florida from 2007 to 2022. Over the conference’s life, this four-day event drew together over 100 Maya experts and over 600 different attendees from 34 states and 12 countries to learn and share research and perspectives on the ancient Maya. Learning about cutting edge discoveries by day and listening to the waves of the Atlantic in the evening made this conference one of the premier Maya conferences in the world and was cherished by presenters and attendees.
This year’s Maya at the Playa Conference.
Maya at the Lago
Located just 500 miles north of Florida, the Maya at the Playa’s sister conference was hosted on the shores of Lake Norman in Davidson, North Carolina. The Maya at the Lago Conference was similar in format and content to the Maya at the Playa conference but the setting and location allowed additional attendees the opportunity to enjoy our programming. The Maya at the Lago Conference was also the training hub for the pre-collegiate students who are accepted to the AFAR summer field programs. The Maya at the Lago Conference took place annually from 2011 to 2022.
Join this year’s Maya at the Lago Conference
CONFERENCE HISTORY
What began as way to bring experts in Maya studies to local high school students has turned into one of the most iconic and attended events focused on Maya research. To date, AFAR has successfully hosted twenty-five Maya conferences; bringing together hundreds of Maya experts and enthusiasts. We are proud of our programming and consider it second to none but our conference family has given our conferences the strong heartbeat that make them so special. We tip our grateful hat to all of the participants that we’ve collaborated through the years to generate, what we believe to be, the best show in science.
To see a summary of previous conferences visit our Conference History Page