Collaborative Archaeology Project of Eastern Yucatán Historical Period Survey and Mapping Opportunity

Location: Yucatán, Mexico

Season: January 27, 2025 to March 14, 2025

Application Deadline: January 10, 2025

Deadline Type: Rolling

Program Type:
Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
University of North Carolina

Project Director:
Diane Slocum

Project Description:

This seven week field season is component of a larger project titled “Engaging Indigenous Perspectives to Investigate Trans-Temporal Uses of Space and Religious Architecture in Yucatán,” funded by Fulbright-Hays and Wenner-Gren. The project questions the perception of colonial mission sites as exclusively material evidence for European conquest and religious conversion of Indigenous peoples. It seeks to understand the longer-term history of mission sites in Yucatán from the Colonial period (sixteenth century) to the present day. Volunteers will have opportunity to participate in archaeological pedestrian survey, mapping architecture, and photogrammetry. The project aims to (1) investigate how residents sustained livelihoods in the context of population change in Tahcabo during the past two centuries, and (2) clarify diachronic material changes of the Tahcabo church. This work is conducted in partnership with Tahcabo residents, Proyecto Arqueológico Colaborativo del Oriente de Yucatán (PACOY), and undergraduate students from the Universidad de Oriente, Valladolid, Yucatán.

Period(s) of Occupation: Historical Period

Notes:
This is a great opportunity to gain experience with archaeological survey, mapping, architectural recording, and photogrammetry techniques. Please note that this is not an excavation project. We will be documenting above-ground artifacts and features. We plan to work five days each week. On the weekends, there is an option to stay in Valladolid, Yucatán, which is about an hour from the field site. Valladolid is an excellent base point for exploring many large archaeological sites in the area.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 2 weeks

Minimum Age: 21

Experience Required: Interested volunteers must have completed an archaeological field school or have experience volunteering or working on other archaeological projects. Volunteers must speak Spanish at a functional level. Previous foreign travel experience is preferred.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Housing will be provided in a rented shared field house in Calotmul, Yucatán, a small town about a 15-minute drive from the field site. Hostel-style housing will be available during weekends in Valladolid, Yucatán, about an hour’s drive from the field site. Food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks will be provided during weekdays. Daily transportation to and from the field site and to Valladolid on the weekends will be provided.

Academic Credit:
N/A