Thirty-Two Years of Integrating Archaeology and Heritage Management in Belize: A Brief History of the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project’s Engagement with the Public

Abstract

<jats:p>Since its inception in 1988, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project has had two major foci, that of cultural heritage management and archaeological research. While research has concentrated on excavation and survey, the heritage management focus of the project has included the preservation of ancient monuments, the integration of archaeology and tourism development, and cultural heritage education. In this paper, we provide a brief overview on the history of scientific investigations by the BVAR Project, highlighting the project’s dual heritage management and research goals. This background offers the basis in which to discuss the successes and challenges of the project’s efforts in cultural heritage management and public engagement, particularly in early conservation efforts, in its training and educational efforts, and its ongoing outreach activity. We emphasize the need to train Belizeans as professional archaeologists and conservators, to serve as the next generation of advocates for Belize’s heritage management. We offer some ideas on how research projects can make significant contributions to heritage education and preservation in the developing world.</jats:p>

To Eat, Discard, or Venerate: Faunal Remains as Proxy for Human Behaviors in Lowland Maya Peri-Abandonment Deposits

“…To examine our proposed faunal correlates, we analyzed materials from peri-abandonment deposits B6-6 and B7-100 at Baking Pot and deposits along the walls of structures B1, B4, and near the southern section of Courtyard 1 in Group B at Xunantunich (Awe 2012; Hoggarth et al 2016; Sullivan et al 2017).…”

“…In this paper, we examine faunal remains from peri-abandonment deposits in the Belize Valley sites of Baking Pot and Xunantunich. These deposits are diverse in artifact classes, with high quantities of ceramics (Hoggarth et al 2016), presence of lithics, and variable amounts of fauna (Wisner et al 2017, 2018). At Baking Pot, there is an abundance of polychrome and other symbolically significant ceramics, as well as chert and obsidian artifacts, cores, and broken blades (Davis 2018; Hoggarth et al 2016; Lonaker et al 2017).…”

“…These deposits are diverse in artifact classes, with high quantities of ceramics (Hoggarth et al 2016), presence of lithics, and variable amounts of fauna (Wisner et al 2017, 2018). At Baking Pot, there is an abundance of polychrome and other symbolically significant ceramics, as well as chert and obsidian artifacts, cores, and broken blades (Davis 2018; Hoggarth et al 2016; Lonaker et al 2017). For Xunantunich, the ceramics are less impressive, with primarily nondiagnostic sherds, though lime water damage could explain the lack of preserved hieroglyphic texts.…”

Reconstructing the Formation of Peri-Abandonment Deposits at Baking Pot, Belize

“…The terms “problematical deposits,” termination deposits, terminal deposits, or terminal occupation debris, have been used to describe these features that resemble middens but are located on the terminal plaza or courtyard floors within sites. Over the past two decades, similar deposits have been increasingly identified across the Maya lowlands (Ambrosino et al 2003; Ardren 1999; Brown and Garber 2003; Chase and Chase 2004; Clayton et al 2005; Freidel et al 1998; Guderjan 2004; Helmke 2006; Hoggarth et al 2014; Houk 2016; Inomata 2016; Mock 1998; Navarro-Farr 2016; Stanton et al 2008; Tsukamoto 2017). Studies have noted that deposits can vary within and between sites (Houk 2016), as well as across a region (Awe et al 2009), in their artifact assemblages and contextual composition.…”

“…We agree with this point, although we think that the term “problematic deposit” has outlived its utility and is far too broad to classify the deposits that archaeologists are increasingly focusing on as one cultural phenomenon associated with the decline or abandonment of sites. To avoid classifying every deposit that defies clear interpretation as a “problematic deposit,” regardless of its context or setting, we have suggested using the term “peri-abandonment deposit” for the features that are directly associated with distinct activities around the time of abandonment (Helmke et al 2017; Hoggarth et al 2016). We use this term to refer to the surficial deposits that exhibit clear spatial patterning and variability in artifact composition but, more importantly, have associations with the final activities in ceremonial spaces.…”