HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT MAYA IN THE ...

vACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis research was made possible through a number of individuals that deserverecognition. I would like to thank Dr. Lori Wright for allowing me to work with theskeletal material from the caves of Guatemala and helping me formulate a thesis topic. Iknow it came down to the wire, but everything came together in the end. I would alsolike to thank my other committee members, Dr. D. Gentry Steele and Dr. JonathanSmith, for their much-needed input and constructive criticism. I would also like toextend a special thanks to Dr. Rob Bonnichsen in the Center for the Study of the FirstAmericans for granting me access to the newly acquired stereomicroscopes, and JimWiederhold for taking time out of his schedule to help me take photographs of cutmarks. I would also like to thank Dr. James Brady for the useful information despite themissed phone calls. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Sam Sweitz and Anna Lee Presleyfor doing a preliminary inventory of the skeletal material. You made my job a lot easier.I would like to thank my parents and my sister for their continuous supportthroughout my academic career. You have always been there for me, and I thank you.Finally, I would like to extend a very special thanks to my extremely patient fiancé,Felisha Rohan. She supported my every decision and kept me grounded. I cannot fullyexpress how important she was in this very grueling process. She lifted my spirits whenI was down and always kept me looking forward no matter what. I know it was a roughride, but we finally made it. Thank you so much for being there for me; I know Icouldn’t have done it without you.