(This Explorers Club Flag Expedition is dedicated to my friend and fellow explorer the late Steve Fossett MED ’92)
Flag #97 Report
Robert J. Atwater LF’05, Flag Expedition Leader
2009 Cahal Pech Archaeological Expedition
An Explorers Club Flag Expedition to Belize, Central America
170 7’ 59.09” N 890 4’ 3.13” W
(Large palace structure facing the main plaza of Cahal Pech)
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From June 11th through June 25th, 2009 a team of eighteen volunteers including eight
high school students under the direction of Dr. Jaime Awe conducted an archaeological
excavation and survey around site c6 of the Mayan city of Cahal Pech (Place of Ticks).
Expedition members ranged in ages from nine to sixty-one. (Note: At various times
throughout the expedition as many as an additional sixteen volunteers including college
students, assisted with the excavation). Cahal Pech is a major Mayan ceremonial center
near the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize, Central America. The site
consists of thirty-four structures located within an area of approximately two acres.
There are seven courtyards, several temples and two ball courts. The largest structure is
approximately seventy-seven feet in height with fairly steep steps to the platform on
top. Archaeologists have located ten mounds in the seven courtyards. The city was
settled around one thousand B.C. and abandoned around eight hundred A.D.
(Cahal Pech Main Temple Seventy-Seven Feet High)
During the years between nineteen-seventy and nineteen-eighty five the site was looted
several times. Many of those looters were eventually arrested and prosecuted.
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In nineteen-eighty eight, a large scale excavation was conducted and continues through
to the present.
The 2009 excavation is the fourth year the American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR)
project has teamed with the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) project
to provide an archaeological field school at Cahal Pech for high school students who
may earn college credit for completing their assigned projects. All team members were
responsible for their individual expenses.
The 2009 Cahal Pech Archaeological Expedition Team Members are:
Dr. Jaime Awe – Director, Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR)
and Field School Director (Our Boss)
Mat Saunders – Director, American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR), Flagler
County School District, Florida; Vice President for Education & Outreach, Archaeological
Institute of America (AIA); and Excavation Leader.
Jim Prichard - GIS Land Surveyor and Excavation Leader.
Robert J. Atwater LF’05, FRGS – Explorers Club Flag Expedition Leader, Excavator,
Photographer, and Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) Member, Board of
Trustees.
Heath Bentley – Archaeology Technician and Excavator
Laura Hutchinson - Excavator
Raymond Minami – Excavator (High School Student)
Shane Mclean – Excavator (High School Student)
Kerry Bader – Excavator (High School Student)
Tom Wilkey – Excavator (High School Student)
Sean Simpson – Excavator (High School Student)
Ciara Mouser – Excavator (High School Student)
Whitney Spivey – Excavator
David Pandich – Excavator (High School Student)
Allie Burek – Excavator (High School Student)
Jaime Ramirez - Excavator and Archaeology Technician
Madison Hould – Excavator and youngest expedition member
Ben Thomas – AIA representative and professional archaeologist
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(Nine year old excavator Madison and her Mom)
(A sketch plan of the Cahal Pech Complex)
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(Main temple complex looking down on the royal plaza)
(An example of the many Mayan arched doorways at Cahal Pech)
The exact date the site was discovered is unknown, however it is suggested that the
University of Pennsylvania conducted initial surveys and mapping of the site sometime
in the early 1950s. The Belizean government conducted salvage operations on the site
subsequent to known looting on the main plaza. A museum and visitors center on site
holds many of the artifacts excavated during the last thirty-five years.
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(The following photos are of the 2009 field school excavation at site c6)
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Subsequent to three days of onsite preparation setup, the 2009 field school team
worked tirelessly for eleven days excavating site c6. The center of site c6 had some
extensive looting and erosion damage. The team project focused on separating pottery
shard, obsidian, flint, and Chert stone artifacts from extensive amounts of dirt and
gravel. Team daily journals were kept, hundreds of pottery shards and other artifacts
were identified, tagged, bagged, and stored in the museum for further analysis. Some
of the more significant artifacts are shown in the accompanying photos to disclose their
provenance conducted at the site.
The field school also included several GIS Land Survey measurements to identify future
field school operations.
I enjoyed sharing stories of the Explorers Club and other adventures I’ve experienced
with the other expedition members. Encouraging them to continue their excitement
with archaeology and other exploration activities well into the future. Many of the high
school students and several adults expressed a desire to join the EC as student and
regular members.
Conclusion:
The 2009 Cahal Pech Archaeological Expedition was an overwhelming success on all
counts relating to archaeological field science in spite of a significant amount of rainfall
and extreme humidity. An exceptional experience was had by all especially when
significant artifacts were located. Future archaeological field schools for high school
students at Cahal Pech sponsored by the BVAR and AFAR are in the planning stages.
Many of this year’s participants expressed their intention to return to continue their
excavation and surveying training in preparation of future higher education in the field
sciences.
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(Significant artifacts located by the 2009 expedition field school)
Credits:
All photos courtesy of Robert Atwater LF’05
Expedition sponsors: Logistics, AIA, BVAR & AFAR; Field School, BVAR & AFAR; Flag
Expedition, The Explorers Club, NYC.
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