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The 2012 Season of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project
field school and my participation in the Belize
Archaeology Symposium.
I would also like to thank Dr. Schovanec for
visiting the field school in Belize this summer.
I know that his presence made a big impression
on the project staff and students, and I would
like to thank him for his ongoing interest in the
project. I would also like to thank Chan Chich
Lodge for treating Dr. Schovanec so well
during his visit.
I would like to acknowledge the contributions
of Dr. Chet Walker to the project. He conducted
an archaeo-geophysical survey of the Upper
Plaza, and he tested the use of “drones” to
conduct aerial flyovers of the site. We have big
plans for 2013 based on the results! I would
also like to thank Dr. Fred Valdez, our project
ceramicist, for guest lecturing on ceramics
and analyzing a large percentage of our 2012
assemblage. Dr. Lauren Sullivan assisted with
the analysis, and her help is greatly appreciated.
Additionally, Ms. Margaret Greco, on loan
from the Programme for Belize Archaeological
Project, illustrated a number of incensario
fragments for us, including the one on the cover
of this report.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the
hard work and financial sacrifice of the project
staff. In particular, I’d like to thank Mr. Kevin
Miller of SWCA, Inc. for taking two weeks
out of his schedule to assist us in the field.
His guidance was a tremendous help during
the initial, frantic days of the project. I would
also like to thank the three graduate students
who helped train and supervise the field school
students: Matthew Harris, Krystle Kelley, and
Vincent Sisneros. Last but not least, Ashley
Booher was our junior staff member and
assisted in the Upper Plaza excavations.
Mr. Leroy Lee, the owner of American
Seismic, LLC, was a special friend to the
project. He shared the lodge with us for most
of the field school and used his GPS to set up
a control point for us. Everyone on the project
is eternally grateful for his generous donation
that made the end of season barbeque possible!
The CCAP is supported by the Field School
in Maya Archaeology, a program run through
Study Abroad at Texas Tech. I’d like to thank
Sandy Crosier, Elizabeth McDaniel, and Rachel
Jarnagin for working with the square peg that
our project is in the round hole of study abroad
programs. They made the process of dealing
with international travel and 12 students from
nine universities as simple as it could be.
The greatest thanks, however, go to the 12
students who chose this project over all the
other possible choices. I said it in Belize,
and I’ll say it here: this group was the best
group of students I’ve ever had on a field
school. They are Alan Craig, Southeastern
Louisiana University; Zachary Critchley,
Franklin & Marshall College; Erica Gallis,
George Mason University; Kelsey Herndon,
Auburn University; Samuel LaGrone, Texas
Tech University; Corey Kerkela, University
of Central Florida; Rose Leach, University of
Michigan; Sierra Mosier, University of North
Texas; Tony Mouton, Texas Tech University;
Carolyn Nettleton, University of Toronto;
Edgar Vazquez Barrera, Texas Tech University;
and Rachel Wall, Providence College.
One of the things that makes working in Belize
so much fun is getting to see friends and
colleagues on other projects. Dr. Fred Valdez
graciously invited my group to a barbecue at
the Programme for Belize Archaeological
Project’s field camp, and I got to see a lot of old
friends, including Dr. Leslie Shaw, who passed
away unexpectedly this fall. I would like to
thank everyone there for their hospitality. The
barbecue was just an excuse to hold the 1st
Annual Belize National Washers Tournament.
While the CCAP lost the lesser brackets, team
“Parrots of the Caribbean” (Vince Sisneros and
iv