MRP News

Using the MRP Forum

Hi everyone,

I have been very happy with the response that the message board has generated. Quite a few people have visited the forum to read the posts and keep up with preparations for the field season. We also have about 20 members who have joined the forum. Forum members can post new topics as well as comment on old conversation threads. I would encourage everyone to go ahead and join the forum. This is just another way to interact with the MRP community.

Unfortunately, small as our organization is, we are not immune to attacks by "spammers". Over the last week I have had to remove posts with both an "adult theme" as well as ads for certain pharmaceuticals. As far as I know, I was the only one who saw them. I hope that no one was offended if they stumbled across those posts. The large number of spam topics forced the closing of the previous MRP message board. I do not want that to happen again. I have increased the forum's security level to try to circumvent thos with a malicious intent. I am also changing the way that individuals register to become forum members.

From now on I will have to OK new members. When you sign up to become a member, an email will automatically be sent to me with your request. I will try to respond and activate your account within 24 hours. I know that this seems unwieldy, but  I hope that the trade off of an ad free forum will offset the minor inconvenience. There is one major down side to this system. I am leaving for Belize in one month. At that point I will have limited access to the internet and will not be able to activate new account. So get out there and sign up n ow.

This is a new system and there are bound to be a few bugs involved with its implementation. Please bear with me and send me an email with any problems that you encounter.

Tim Preston.

This Summers Research

We have finalized our research goal for the 2008 Summer Field Season. While no plan ever survives contact with the enemy, I can give everyone an overall idea of what will be going on this summer.

I will be finishing up my research at the site of Rosita. My plans call for the reopening of an excavation started by Sarah Clayton in 2004 as well as completing excations of the Structure 9 patio group that started last year. If everything goes as planned these excavations will be completed by the end of the first two session. Starting in session 3 I will be moving to a new phase of research that includes examining several large elite courtyards along the edge of the escarpment. These excavations will further my on going research that is aimed at examinig conditions at the end of the Classic Period. I will be joined in these excavations by by Leslie Reyes of Humbolt State University. She will be leading excavation teams under my supervision. Leslie and I will be conducting these excavations over all four sessions.

Barbara Hughes will be conducting stripping opperations on a small house mound in the site of Rosita, adjacent to the main road through the Blue Creek community. This excavation will serve the dual purpose of furthering our knowlege about Rosita as well as educating the community on what we are duing in Blue Creek. Barbara will also be conducting test excavations of several small agricultural features, check dams and terraces. Barabara will be with us for the entire field season.

Jason Barret will be leading a team that will bemapping the site of Najah Na and excavating a proposed ballcourt at that location. Najah Nah is a site located 20 kilometers northwest of the Blue Creek site core. It appears to be a minor center with a dispersed settlement pattern. Jason will be joining us for the first two sessions.

Other projects being undertaken this summer include the ongoing investigations of the ditched field agricultural system below the escarpment as well as surveying Sunnyside Farm. Tim and Sheryl Beach have been excavationg a series of ditched fields below the Rio Bravo escarpment for as long as I have been involved with MRP (since 2001) Their work will continue this year. Tom and Steve Shaw will be surveying sites in the extreme northwest of our permit area, the Sunnyside Farm. We know that there are several large sites in this area , but they have not been documented at this time.

Welker Scholars

Congratulations to our 2008 Welker Scholars!

Henry Bernberg- University of Kansas
Diane Carrier – University of California, Riverside
Jenna Dockery –University of California, Berkeley
Micah Emerson - Metropolitan State College, Denver
Kelly French - Alabama-Birmingham
Gail Hammond - University College London
Hamilcon Inciarte  - Williams College
Priscilla Mollard  - San Francisco State University
Cassiday Rickels – Louisiana State University

We will also shortly be announcing our second and
final group of scholars.

Flying to Belize

It is about that time when everyone starts scrambling to find flights to and from Belize for the summer field season. I have posted some information about airlines and flights on the MRP Forum (Getting to Belize).

Remember that you should be at the Belize city International Airport on the first day of the session that you are attending. We will pick you up then and drop you off on the last day of the session. Once again the session dates are below.

• Session 1: Monday May 26 - Sunday June 8
• Session 2: Monday June 9 - Sunday June 22
• Session 3: Monday June 30 - Sunday July 13
• Session 4: Monday July 14 - Sunday July 27

It is very important that everone email Tom (guderjan@mrpmail.com) with your flight information. We will need the airline, time and date of arrival (the arrival date should match one of the session start dates), and the city that you are connecting through. We need you flight information for the simple reason that we will not be looking out for you if we do not know that you are coming. Every year some one says that they will be showing up for a certain session and then never arrives. That usually leaves me sitting at the airport without a flight number wondering if a person will arrive. Sometimes the reverse happens A person shows up for one session when they said that they would arrive at a different time. Believe me when I say thet you do not want to end up stranded at the Belize City Airport. There is no airport Hilton, and we are at least 2 hours away by car.

If you plan on arriving in Belize early for a little pre-digging R & R that is OK. Just let us know about your plans and be at the International Airport (not the Municipal Airport) on the first day of your session, that is the only time that we will be picking up people for transportation out to the camp.

Only 2 months to go.

Well, the departure date for this years field season is slowly but surely creeping closer and closer. For myself, this means controlled chaos as I make sure that everything vital will be taken care of while I am gone. The one thing that I really do not need to worry about is packing. I have been doing this long enough that most of what I need is already in Belize. All I really need to do is make sure that my field clothes still fit. Happily they don't, I have lost a little weight and now need to go shopping.

If you are a first time volunteer, then you probably have questions on what what you absolutely need to bring, as well as what might be usefull but not vital. I have started to write a series of posts over on the MRP Forum that will, hopefully, help you to decide what to bring.

I am posting these short articles over on the Forum rather than here, because I feel that it will be easier for people to comment on my suggestions as well as ask questions. Anyone can read the material posted over on the forum, but if you would like to make a comment or ask a question then you must registar. Don't worry it is a painless procedure and only takes a minute. Of course you can always contact me directly with any questions that you might have

See you in Belize, Tim

More new volunteers

More and more people have committed to spending part of their summer with us. Here are some of our newest volunteers.

• Sarah Surasky: University of Indianapolis, Session 1
• Dick Hall: Los Angeles, Session 2
• Anke de Moer: The Netherlands, Session 4
• Eric de Ruyter: The Netherlands, Session 4

A Guide to Blue Creek

Here is a link to the online version of a guide to Blue Creek. This contains general information about Blue Creek as well as information on traveling to Belize, and things to bring. If you are joining us this summer, or still considering it, this is a must read. The answers to many comon questions can be found in the guide.

Blue Creek General Information Guide

MRP Message Board

The Maya Research Program Message Board is back on line in a new and different form. Those of you who are long time followers of MRP on the web know that we took the MRP Message Board offline about six months ago and replaced it with this Blog. We did this because of the amount of spam that was posted on the board each day.

Well the board is back in a different form. Instead of a simple message board I have but up a standard community forum. This type of bulliten board will be familiar to many people who use the web on a daily basis. If you are not familiar with the the structure don't worry it is very easy to use.

If you just want to see what people are saying than you do not have to registar. Simply go to the forum that you are interested in and browse. However if you want to post a new topic or comment on an old topic than you will have to registar. This is a simple process bu neccessary to keep auytomated systems from spamming the forum.

The first place you should go is the new and returning members area. Here you can post a new thread introducing youself. It is a great way to get to know the community. There are also sections devoted camp life, excavations at Blue Creek, the Yaxunah Experience and the tours.

Have fun and contribute as often as you want. Things will be slow at first but will pick up as more people come out and play

Tim

MRP Message Board

Participant List

Here is an updated list of the people who will be joining us this summer. Welcome one and all. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. My email is on the side bar under the "email me" link. Or you can find it in the main web site.

Tim

• Hamilcon Inciarte: Williams College, Sessions 1 & 2
• Melissa Jensen: Western Washington University, Sessions 3 &4
• Dan Kendall: SFSU, Session  2
• Rickey Ketcham: San Marcos, CA, Sessions  2 & 3
• Andrew Maziarski: RutgersUniversity, Session 3
• Cynthia McCreary: Univ of Indianapolis, Sessions 2 & 3
• Alexandra Lauch: Western WashingtonUniversity, Session 3
• Anke van der Moer: Bussium, The Netherlands, S4
• Priscilla Mollard: SFSU, Sessions 1 & 2
• Sarah Surasky: Purdue University, Session 1
• Cath Patterson: Spring Hill, Australia, Session 3
• Jen Patterson: Sandgate, Australia, Session 3
• Richard & Lucy Pittree: Chipita Park, Colorado, Session 2
• Laura Rogers: Texas A&M University, Session 1
• Eric de Ruyter: Bussum, The Netherlands, Session 4
• Greg Spencer: San Manuel, Arizona, Session 1
• Luke Yates: BradfordUniversity (UK), Sessions 1 & 2

Up the river without a paddle.

In our on-going study Mayan trade connections we wave sent several expeditions up the Rio Hondo to document the river conditions on the way to an ancient dock feature. The Mayan dock was discovered and documented by Dr Jason Barret.

This clip gives an idea of the conditions that our expedition had to endure as they trekked up the Rio Hondo. Besides the appalling heat and humidity, the group had to contend with poisonous snakes, voracious fish and a chronic lack or beer.