The Stickiness of Portrayals and the Obligation of Creative License

Joe Rohde

Thursday, February 27 - 6:00-7:00pm

This lecture explores the complex interplay between primary resources, aesthetic logic, and stylistic imperatives in the reconstruction of ancient cultures. It argues that by carefully analyzing the materials, techniques, and artistic conventions employed in surviving artifacts, we can make informed inferences about the broader cultural context and the likely appearance of objects that have not been directly preserved. The lecture will begin with a demonstration of the pervasive influence of media imagery over search results, proceeding to  discussing the concept of extrapolation from primary resource clues. It will illustrate this concept with examples from Pompeii and Maya civilization, demonstrating how the presence of a plate glass window in a bathhouse or a transparent blue gown worn by a Maya woman can provide insights into the likely appearance of other related objects, such as windows in Hadrian's palace or the attire of the royal queen consort. The lecture will then delve into the importance of cohesion in narrative art. It will explain how the level of finish on one object can imply the level of finish on others in a related suite, and how the difficulty of a medium can affect the degree of detail preserved in a representation. Finally, the lecture will address the challenges posed by stylistic imperatives. It will highlight how art styles are designed to be self-consistent and how this can sometimes conflict with photographic realism. By comparing the Codex style Maya vases to the representation of costume in the Dresden Codex, the lecture will demonstrate how different stylistic imperatives can limit the extent to which we can directly extrapolate from one resource to another. In conclusion, this lecture will offer a framework for understanding how aesthetic logic and stylistic imperatives can be used to reconstruct ancient cultures from the limited evidence provided by primary resources. By carefully considering these factors, we can develop a more nuanced and accurate picture of the past.

A Historical Path of Discovery and Understanding of the Ancient Maya

Michael Callaghan

Friday, February 28 - 9:30-10:30am

In this presentation we’ll explore ancestral Maya complex society, focusing on its geographic diversity, historical periods, and the development of archaeological research. We’ll begin by defining the Maya area, which encompasses parts of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, highlighting key sub-regions such as the Southern and Northern Lowlands, the Highland areas, and the Pacific Coast. Next, we’ll outline the major temporal periods of Maya history, from the Preclassic to the Postclassic, emphasizing key cultural shifts, political structures, and technological advancements. We’ll briefly review the history of archaeological research, including early explorations in the 19th century to contemporary methods and discoveries. Attention will be given to the techniques used in contemporary archaeology, including remote sensing, excavation, and artifact analytical techniques, alongside changing theoretical frameworks. The goal of the presentation is to provide foundational knowledge of Maya archaeology to those new to the discipline and familiarize all conference participants with terms, definitions, and historical contexts that will be referenced throughout the conference.

A Day in the Life of the Classic Period Maya using Art, Iconography, and Archaeology

Brigitte Covacevich

Friday, February 28 - 10:30-11:30am

This presentation examines how Maya archaeologists use material culture to reconstruct Classic period Maya life. We’ll focus on key sources like artifacts, landscapes, monuments, human remains, flora and faunal remains, architecture, art, and writing. We’ll see that through the analysis of archaeological features and artifacts, archaeologists can interpret Maya religion, political power, and social hierarchies. Iconographic and epigraphic analysis from carved monuments, murals, and portable objects allows us to identify individuals, deities, and ceremonies central to Maya life. Human remains provide insights into health and social status, while remains of flora and fauna offer clues about subsistence strategies, diet, and resource management. Architecture, from monumental pyramids to domestic structures, reflect how elites and commoners organized their daily lives and activities, while also illustrating societal organization and political power. Finally, landscapes can be analyzed to understand the ways that the Maya interacted with their environment, from urban planning to agricultural systems, shedding light on the economic systems that sustained their complex society. By integrating these diverse lines of evidence, archaeologists gain a more holistic understanding of Maya life, revealing the daily interplay between religion, politics, economy, and society during the Classic periods.

Through a Glass Sparkly: Archaeologists, audiences and representing the ancient Maya World.

Dr. George Bey - Millsaps College

Friday, February 28 - 10:00am-12:00pm

For archaeologists, our audience is typically composed of a fairly small number of individuals. Those that read our work, our analyses and theories and interpretations of such fun topics as the appearance and disappearance of various pottery types, chronologies constructed via absolute and relative dating, interpreting functions of buildings and the abandonment of sites, are no more than a limited group of academics that rarely exceeds the low hundreds. Except in media like Nat Geo documentaries the archaeologist is almost invariably not speaking to a wide general audience. One area where the Maya archaeologist often does speak to a larger, sometimes huge audience, is at the archaeological sites they map and excavate, where they conserve their work and present it to the public. These audiences are in turn varied in size and interest, from local Maya communities in the forest of Yucatan, to the bus loads of families visiting from the US or Europe. The archaeologist in this case is tasked, among all the archaeological and conservation and government requirements/guidelines, with making decisions for how the guests to these sites will “see” the ancient Maya. They are presenting the past in a way that will form the image of the ancient Maya for guests. This is the case particularly regarding architecture, sculpture, landscapes and other parts of the Maya world that are presented in these public spaces. Now perhaps a non-archaeologist would think the process of excavating and conserving a Maya site would be pretty cut and dry. You expose the structure and basically “glue” it back together. However, that is far from the truth. The process of restoring the Maya past at an archaeological site varies significantly in a number of dimensions. Therefore, the archaeologist through their vision of conservation helps shape the guests/audiences’ ideas of what the past looked like and who the Maya were. This presentation illustrates how the creative process of the Maya archaeologist guides the guest along a particular pathway of what they think about the past, of who the Maya were and what their world was like. It looks at some different approaches to creating the Maya past for guests at sites, how that operates as a creative process and what the audience takes away from their experience.

Presenting the Archaeological Past to the Present: A Belizean Perspective

Dr. Jaime J. Awe - Northern Arizona University & Jorge Can - Belize Institute of Archaeology

Friday, February 28 - 1:00-3:00pm

Presenting the archaeological past to the public is always a daunting task, made even more challenging by the diversity of the public(s) we attempt to serve. In the case of Belize, the public we must serve is comprised of multi-ethnic Belizean citizens, average tourists, and visitors and professionals with varying degrees of knowledge about Belize’s ancient and colonial heritage. Compounding this situation are also concerns for the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites, and the choice of conservation practices and interventions that allow the presentation of Belize’s cultural heritage in a sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable manner. In this presentation, we address these various challenges and concerns and provide concrete examples of the approaches Belizean heritage managers employ in the presentation of their archaeological past to the modern public.

The biocultural heritage of Ek Balam presented to diverse visitors: alternative tools and strategies to communicate to locals, children, elderly, and people with disabilities.

Alejandra Alonso -

Friday, February 28

Ek Balam Archaeological Site shows an increasing number of visitors every year. This represents an opportunity to explore visitor motivations, and their perception of the archaeological Maya people and cultural history. Ek Balam is today the third most visited site in the Yucatan Peninsula, just after Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. Increasing the number of people is a challenge in terms of cultural heritage management and operation. It is relevant to explore and identify different audiences that take the time to visit to learn from their interests and expectations. We ask ourselves how much the visitors know in advance in regards to the archaeological Maya, and what they miss. We want to evaluate the content of the written information available for the visitor. We want to explore how relevant the content is to local and foreign people, and how this information serves them when they tour the site.  We also want to learn why archaeological sites, seen as cultural sites, are the target of mainstream tourism in Mexico, mostly why people spend time and money touring archaeological places. We still know that the recurrent themes people have in their minds are related to the “Maya collapse”, the human sacrifice, and the disappearance of the magnificent Maya. Archaeologists have failed to deliver more engaging information to learn of cultural strategies for better adaptation, creative resources management, and successful political and ritual economies that created a competitive cultural landscape in the past. We are looking forward to creating new content to humanize archaeological sites to integrate the visitor experience with a learning experience based on meaningful outreach. Our goal is to humanize the experience to create a new conversation based on reflecting how life was in pre-Columbian times, how different agencies and agents were responsible for creating a resilient well-structured culture that permeates the indigenous Maya today. Representing the Maya past today has very little to do with archaeological data from the archaeological record. Our strategies and skills to create a meaningful visit will include stirring up emotions and creating memories. In this presentation we share some ideas and strategies we are exploring to promote a more engaging visitor experience, while improving their learning about the modern and ancient Maya.

Storytelling in the built world of the Maya

 Joan Hartwig - Disney Imagineering

Friday, February 28 -

This presentation follows the process of building an ancient Maya temple in the 21st century. Story drives all experiences at Disney theme parks. Peeling back the curtain on Walt Disney Imagineering storytelling, we see the fundamental design considerations that contribute to placemaking, so that guests are transformed as heroes on a mythic adventure. The fictional Maya temple complex that serves as a new attraction icon in the upcoming Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, reinforces the central theme of the narrative and drives all design choices. Working with leading Maya scholars, every design discipline creates details to support a story that respects the world of the Maya. The dense and exquisite shapes, surfaces,  and symbols are integrated to invent an experience that feels authentic, but is a crafted composition. We will explore the intersection of specific, real architecture and iconography in the Maya region, academia, and popular culture as they influence the story of the temple on this site.

Artifacts and Objects

Saturday, March 1 - 9:00am-12:00pm

This portion of the program will focus on the material culture of the Maya, more specifically the artifacts and features central to the Maya way of life. Like all cultures, the Maya can be understood by their material culture. These objects will be presented and discussed from varied perspectives.

Art and Iconography

Saturday, March 1 - 1:00-3:00pm

This portion of the program will focus on the highly ornate and symbolic art and iconography of the ancient Maya. Our diverse team of participants will share unique perspectives on the evolving understanding of the Maya’s awe-inspiring work of expression and communication.

The Maize God and the Deer People: Introduction to Ancient Mayan Hieroglyphics

Marc Zender - Tulane University

Sunday, March 2 - 9:00am-12:00pm

This workshop explores the considerable evidence for a Maya myth concerning an aged god of the mountains (Huk Xib or Wuk Sip) whose wife runs away with the young Maize God (Juun Ixiim), eventually becoming the mother of the famous Hero Twins, Juunajaw and Yaxbaluun. As we will see, episodes from this ancient story are reflected not only in Classic Maya art and writing - the focus of this workshop - but also in colonial and modern Maya myths, both oral and written, including the famous K’iche’ Popol Vuh itself.

This portion of the program will be an opportunity for our participants to gain a fundamental understanding of the ancient Mayan writing system and put their skills into practice. Although Marc Zender is among the foremost authorities on Mayan hieroglyphic writing, his teaching style makes learning this beautiful system easy to learn, regardless of your background.