Project Overview
AFAR is beginning an exciting new chapter at Baking Pot, an ancient Maya center in western Belize also associated with the name K’ante’ha. This will be AFAR’s first field season at Baking Pot and continues our longstanding partnership with the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR).
During this two-week field school, students will work alongside professional archaeologists and participate in the archaeological process from excavation through analysis. Training will include excavation techniques, mapping and illustration, archaeological documentation, scientific field journaling, and artifact processing. Students will gain practical experience while contributing to active research into the history of one of the Belize Valley’s most important ancient communities.
About Baking Pot
Baking Pot lies near the Belize River in the Cayo District of western Belize. It was one of the largest and most influential Maya centers in the upper Belize Valley during the Classic period (approximately AD 250–900), serving as the capital of a regional polity involved in agriculture, trade, politics, and ceremonial life.
The site’s monumental center contains two principal architectural groups connected by a raised causeway. Beyond this core, an extensive landscape of residential communities reflects the lives of people from a wide range of social backgrounds. Archaeological evidence indicates that Baking Pot was occupied from the Preclassic period into the Postclassic period, considerably longer than many other major Maya centers in the southern lowlands.
Despite decades of investigation, substantial portions of Baking Pot remain unexplored. Recent BVAR research has examined its palace complexes, monumental architecture, surrounding courtyards, and residential districts to better understand household life, social organization, political authority, and the transformations that accompanied the end of Classic-period royal government.
Building on Two Decades at Cahal Pech
AFAR’s move to Baking Pot builds upon a remarkable record of research and education at Cahal Pech. Beginning in 2006 with four students excavating Structure C1, AFAR helped establish one of the first archaeological field-school opportunities designed specifically for high school students.
From 2006 through 2026, AFAR students made meaningful contributions to the investigation of Cahal Pech’s plazas, monumental buildings, palace spaces, and western ballcourt. Their work helped document multiple phases of construction, clarify how movement through the site core was controlled, identify evidence associated with the city’s transformation and abandonment, and support the conservation of exposed architecture. Important discoveries included earlier architectural phases, stucco mask supports, restricted passageways, and evidence connected with an elite tomb.
Just as importantly, generations of students demonstrated that carefully trained young people can participate responsibly in original archaeological research. That legacy of discovery, preservation, and hands-on education now continues at Baking Pot.
Archaeological Focus
AFAR’s initial work at Baking Pot will introduce students to the site’s architectural history and its wider residential landscape while contributing to BVAR’s ongoing investigation of ancient Maya political and social change. Research will examine how buildings and associated artifacts can reveal the ways Baking Pot’s residents organized community life, expressed social identity, and responded to political transformation during the Late and Terminal Classic periods.
Because this will be AFAR’s first season at Baking Pot, the field program will also establish a foundation for future student research at the site.
Registration
Application & Reservation
The first step is to submit an online application. Applications will be accepted until all available project spaces are filled.
Once an applicant has been accepted, a deposit equal to 50% of the program fee is required to confirm the student’s place. Please do not submit the deposit before receiving an acceptance notice.
The remaining balance is due by March 1, 2027. Required forms and additional program information will be provided after the student’s place has been confirmed.
Student Selection and Program Participation
AFAR carefully reviews each application to determine whether the program is a safe and appropriate fit for the student. Considerations may include the applicant’s health and readiness, ability to meet the physical and behavioral expectations of the field school, and capacity to contribute positively to a collaborative group environment. AFAR reserves the right to decline an application when these requirements cannot be met.
During the program, students must follow staff instructions and respect all safety requirements, research protocols, local customs, and Belizean laws. AFAR and the program directors reserve the right to dismiss a student whose conduct places anyone’s safety or well-being at risk, disrupts the group, or compromises the project’s educational or research objectives.
Expectations of Students
Archaeological fieldwork is both rewarding and physically demanding. Students should be prepared to work outdoors in hot and humid conditions and to use tools such as trowels, brushes, picks, shovels, screens, and measuring instruments. Activities may involve walking over uneven terrain, lifting or carrying equipment, bending, kneeling, and performing careful, repetitive tasks.
No previous archaeological experience is required. Successful participants arrive ready to learn, accept instruction and constructive feedback, work patiently and responsibly, and support their teammates. Students are expected to demonstrate maturity, curiosity, flexibility, and respect for the archaeological site, fellow participants, staff, and the people and culture of Belize.
AFAR is committed to helping families determine whether the program is a good fit. Applicants and their families are encouraged to contact us before enrolling if they have questions about the physical, medical, dietary, emotional, or other demands of participation. Whenever reasonably possible, AFAR will discuss available support or accommodations so that expectations are clear before a student’s place is confirmed.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
We understand that plans can change and will make every reasonable effort to provide a refund when possible. Refund eligibility is based on the date we receive written notice of cancellation:
More than seven months before departure: Payments are fully refundable, less any non-refundable airfare or other costs already committed on the participant’s behalf.
Four to seven months before departure: Up to 50% of payments may be refunded, less any non-refundable airfare or committed expenses.
Within four months of departure: Refunds cannot be guaranteed. When possible, we will refund any funds that have not already been committed or paid to airlines, accommodations, program partners, or other providers.
Airline rules vary, and some or all flight costs, including tickets, deposits, change fees, and fare differences, may be non-refundable regardless of when a cancellation occurs.
We strongly encourage participants to consider comprehensive travel insurance soon after enrolling. The right policy may help protect program and travel expenses if an unexpected covered event, such as an emergency or illness, prevents participation. Participants should review all exclusions, coverage limits, and claim requirements carefully, as policies differ and coverage is not guaranteed.
Itinerary
Program Itinerary
Day 1 — Fly to Belize City and drive to San Ignacio. Check into resort and brief on safety and logistics. Sunset tour of Cahal Pech and evening lecture on The Ancient Maya of the Belize Valley.
Day 2 — Day trip to Caracol, Rio Frio Cave, and Rio On Pools.
Day 3 — First day of excavations. Baking Pot site tour in the morning. Equipment check. Onsite Stratigraphy and Artifact Collection Workshop. Lab introduction & unit setup. Archaeological Recording Workshop before dinner.
Day 4 — Second day of excavations. Workshop on The Maya Ballgame before dinner.
Day 5 — Third day of excavations. Maya chocolate workshop and evening dinner in San Ignacio town. No evening lecture or workshop.
Day 6 — Fourth day of excavations. Maya Caves lecture before dinner.
Day 7 — Fifth day of excavations. No evening lecture or workshop.
Day 8 — Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave tour.
Day 9 — Day trip to Davis Falls. Evening Introduction to Mayan Hieroglyphics workshop.
Day 10 — Sixth day of excavations. Bioarchaeology workshop after dinner.
Day 11 — Seventh day of excavations. Myths and Legends of Belize presentation before dinner.
Day 12 — Eighth day of excavations. Visit to the Iguana Sanctuary and dinner in town. No evening lecture or workshop.
Day 13 — Ninth day of excavations.
Day 14 — Tenth day of excavations. Following excavations, the team will break down site, process and store final artifacts, finish mapping, and do inventory on equipment.
Day 15 — Team will travel home.
Daily Work Schedule
7:00-7:45am — Breakfast buffet served
7:45am — Students depart for Baking Pot site
8:00am — Fieldwork begins
12:00-12:45pm — Lunch Break
12:45-3:30pm — Fieldwork continues
3:30pm — Complete daily documentation, gather artifacts & equipment and depart site.
4:00-6:30pm — Afternoon Programming (varies)
6:30pm — Dinner
7:30-10:00pm - Evening programming (varies)
10:00pm — Bedtime
Accommodations & Meals
The group will be staying the Cahal Pech Village Resort in San Ignacio. Students will be sharing rooms, each with en- suite bathrooms and air conditioning. The resort has a laundry service, which costs $13 per load. Dirty laundry left before 8:00am is typically ready by 5:00pm that same day. Towels and linens are provided. Wifi is available in the common areas of the resort.
Breakfast and dinner will typically be eaten at the hotel, and lunch will be provided onsite on weekdays. We travel into town on Wednesday evenings to dine at local restaurants. Lunches are provided at the site on all excursions. All of the meals served will be comparable to those found at home. Please let us know if you require a special diet so that we may discuss the best way to accommodate your needs.
For this program, the students will generally be at the archaeological site during the weekdays and on excursions during the weekend. On occasion, we may choose to deviate from the schedule in reaction to unforeseen circumstances and unique opportunities.
Workshops & Excursions
An archaeologist’s work is not finished unless he or she can sit back and reflect on the day’s excavation. Therefore, the group will make time to experience Belize away from the shovels and wheelbarrows, either by relaxing at a café or by visiting several nearby Maya sites.
Classroom Sessions
Classroom sessions will take place during select times throughout the session. Topics will include the following:
The Maya of the Belize River Valley
The Research History of Baking Pot
Stratigraphy and Artifact Collection
Archaeological Recording
Ancient Mayan Hieroglyphics Workshop
Bioarchaeology
The Maya Ballgame
Maya Caves
Historical Excursions
We believe that visiting the region’s historical sites is essential to understanding the context of the archaeological work at Cahal Pech. Excursions may change depending on the excavation schedule and unforeseen events, and may include the following:
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave
Iguana Farm
Maya Chocolate Workshop
Caracol
Rio Frio Cave
Rio On Pools
Belize Team Leaders
In addition to the supervisors that will oversee the excavations, there will be numerous staff members supporting the archaeological team.
