tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54695212476401495792024-03-12T23:21:36.130-05:00Exploring Lakamha'This blog is a chronicle of my work regarding the archaeological excavation history of Palenque, Mexico during the 1950's, and of the personalities of the people who worked there, such as Alberto Ruz.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-53510929493738195092010-09-04T20:23:00.013-05:002010-09-06T09:16:04.117-05:00The Pursuasive Powers of Rosa Covarrubias<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpZiXI_6_X2d7MHfOryVgBh6tjMWl8wqdlcKd13-0KJu4idlSODR0kMjmaygKrtn2B-SbIxCm8IHVG-pRK9crmBRxToW4vMnA6o4cLRei215SekUqYKP84XCIWZvcJlsUOSarzR0DMlYk/s1600/Rosa+by+Maurine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpZiXI_6_X2d7MHfOryVgBh6tjMWl8wqdlcKd13-0KJu4idlSODR0kMjmaygKrtn2B-SbIxCm8IHVG-pRK9crmBRxToW4vMnA6o4cLRei215SekUqYKP84XCIWZvcJlsUOSarzR0DMlYk/s400/Rosa+by+Maurine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513236208574053154" /></a><br /><br />Rosa Covarrubias, (the wife of Miguel Covarrubias, a famous Mexican cartoonist and Mesoamerican art historian during the 1950's), had substantial power over Nelson Rockefeller. Because she had evidence that the Mexican government was not keeping its 50% matching commitment for the funds that Rockefeller had been putting into the Palenque excavations (field seasons 1949, 1950 and 1951), she urged Rockefeller to stop funding the project(letter dated October 9, 1951). For the two following seasons, the project, supervised by the hard-working Alberto Ruz, received no funds from Nelson Rockefeller.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1QF9vxgg2OIpwbFGn20FD9bli0__iIJKv43sh27S9b1iqtmpIyB_GqRkkcqsR2LSctk8DGezdnIn_vwRZgG8vjJdMcc9aAtAfb1yNXCQARyOnxGBZvRR45Qs0twxANrWtYd9ScQbGiwA/s1600/IMG_7895+Closeup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 344px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1QF9vxgg2OIpwbFGn20FD9bli0__iIJKv43sh27S9b1iqtmpIyB_GqRkkcqsR2LSctk8DGezdnIn_vwRZgG8vjJdMcc9aAtAfb1yNXCQARyOnxGBZvRR45Qs0twxANrWtYd9ScQbGiwA/s400/IMG_7895+Closeup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513241943823731106" /></a><br /><br />However, after the historic finds that Ruz made in the Temple of the Inscriptions and after hearing one of his lectures and his plea for more funding, she wrote to Rockefeller again in March 31, 1954, where she asked Nelson to once again begin funding the Ruz excavations. On April 21, 1954, approximately 2 weeks after he received Rosa's letter, Rockefeller once again began funding the project. In addition, Rosa was part of the excavation crew for that season -- at her wish. Her description of the site is pungent and endearing, especially considering the fact that she was by profession, a dancer and actress, not at all accustomed to the hard physical labor needed at an archaeological excavation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxdgg0l88FjGX_lqsXNZBL528N1MxvxBqvW-d7EK-bJ6mPyV7IzkkjcWTb21YzVdn0CXWZMXKAGppkDby1ByMJVGUir1h3sDGiBQg8t6rcreTuGA9ZBo_HOjeXq0VpGrXowGOj1lLwKUp/s1600/Rosa+from+web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxdgg0l88FjGX_lqsXNZBL528N1MxvxBqvW-d7EK-bJ6mPyV7IzkkjcWTb21YzVdn0CXWZMXKAGppkDby1ByMJVGUir1h3sDGiBQg8t6rcreTuGA9ZBo_HOjeXq0VpGrXowGOj1lLwKUp/s400/Rosa+from+web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513242845095133122" /></a><br /><br />Dear Nelson:<br />Will you believe it, this is the first time I’ve seen Palenque? I can’t tell you how wonderful it is. It is probably the most impressive of all the ruins, as the jungle closes in on all sides. Tall mountains form a backdrop and the monuments face a sea of jungle as far as the eye can reach. Monkeys howl all day long and in the morning toucans and myriads of other birds play in the trees in front of the camp.<br /><br />First I must thank you in the name of all the people working on this project. With the arrival of your contribution twenty people were working and the number is now 70 workers and four technicians. It is not easy to work here. The humidity is terrific, but the small Maya men seem never to tire. A beautiful river flows in front of the ruins and when work stops, they make for the river like children at play. <br /><br />If you think it is easy to climb seventy steps with a sack of cement or lime, try it sometime. The ruins are in fine condition. Everything can be seen rather easily….No one knows how many there are exactly. Everybody works with caution of the dreaded Fer de lance and rattlesnake. Wasps are in every crevice.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-21374738287488980182010-05-12T16:14:00.003-05:002010-05-12T16:29:21.259-05:00K'inich Janaab' Pakal’s False Pearls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREOVcM1MmQrecymT8EfYJd6B5dvXARWM8EcSJZZxdbi-5VZgGaPEAHT2odVbWi-NY_p7pxp3CbmVg2xwLMS5hqmmV-czUqSXkqH3bDGiOOXuZHhNQ7xn1G12Hs8_-Q4PuNdmLc2fz8p8E/s1600/T+of+Inscriptions2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREOVcM1MmQrecymT8EfYJd6B5dvXARWM8EcSJZZxdbi-5VZgGaPEAHT2odVbWi-NY_p7pxp3CbmVg2xwLMS5hqmmV-czUqSXkqH3bDGiOOXuZHhNQ7xn1G12Hs8_-Q4PuNdmLc2fz8p8E/s400/T+of+Inscriptions2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470496370891959362" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">As I have written previously, the great Mexican archaeologist, Alberto Ruz discovered one of the most important tombs in all of the Maya area when he excavated the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque and found the remains of greatest Palenque ruler, K’inich Pakal.<o:p></o:p></span></p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin"><o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzARE6_h85l41Y1QPT0pUN1IqVyM6KwkkgQRdXYAB0H6fdX3cTit7sQgn582E6U7NfQcSToRyeGFcnjWx0QJP_-Kz_NmdsZ91aE7tYABOkPZ5I41OYbhUIg1wWEGt9ynfAeotowTsEa1-s/s1600/K'inich+Janaab%27+Pakal%E2%80%99s+False+Pearls.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzARE6_h85l41Y1QPT0pUN1IqVyM6KwkkgQRdXYAB0H6fdX3cTit7sQgn582E6U7NfQcSToRyeGFcnjWx0QJP_-Kz_NmdsZ91aE7tYABOkPZ5I41OYbhUIg1wWEGt9ynfAeotowTsEa1-s/s400/K'inich+Janaab%27+Pakal%E2%80%99s+False+Pearls.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470496878570541714" /></a></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 55px; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">Many jewels and precious objects were found in that tomb, but the objects that I want to talk about for this blog-post are what Ruz called “false pearls”, as seen in the above scan. He writes, “These pearls were magnificent falsifications. Each pearl is composed of two hollow pieces of mother-of-pearl shell, exactly cut and polished, which were fitted in one case lengthwise and in the other transversely, held in place as one by a limestone paste which filled the supposed pearl.” (Ruz 300:1953)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The false pearls were 32 mm (1.26 inches) long. Ruz goes on to state that these manufactured pearls were evidence of a theocracy in which “a great all-powerful king demanded pearls of a size larger than could be found in nature” and thus demonstrated the inventiveness of the Palenque jeweler who made them.<o:p></o:p></span></p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:";font-size:14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latinfont-family:";font-size:14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-3197892847983519792010-03-03T08:17:00.009-06:002010-03-03T09:25:20.098-06:00Hombre Verdadero - Halach Huinic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAZc8_WeZL32Y5ev1RrXLtZj56sPLXtJQ0bGDp8_Rpl-KQ-LFBzAtC1jRCij9QrD5nKVL5NcvLDhxvIGR3tg9gYDZXn0H6Xw-UhedsC_aaE-wSGD-k6t21_-THs_akHMWz5RF9OCi5gmK/s1600-h/Saenz+at+Xochicalco.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAZc8_WeZL32Y5ev1RrXLtZj56sPLXtJQ0bGDp8_Rpl-KQ-LFBzAtC1jRCij9QrD5nKVL5NcvLDhxvIGR3tg9gYDZXn0H6Xw-UhedsC_aaE-wSGD-k6t21_-THs_akHMWz5RF9OCi5gmK/s400/Saenz+at+Xochicalco.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444413591302402690" /></a>The great Mexican archaeologist, Cesar Saenz excavated at Palenque during the early 50's, under the direction of Alberto Ruz. Here you see a picture of Saenz at the site of Xochicalco where he is displaying one of its unusual stela.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ42FUU2WUTobgxnXL8aRrru6g_Vyz-VJXZs6JYqCbkPjg5hSC8U08Agj8XVVypSSH1xcJidzvAvWJe9hciyErc8oD0d0iY2IeJ2KYH6bQjZrQpWL-mjv2NpWMgcrAUU94QbGmwYnmMgeE/s1600-h/Lam.+XXIV+PAGE261.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ42FUU2WUTobgxnXL8aRrru6g_Vyz-VJXZs6JYqCbkPjg5hSC8U08Agj8XVVypSSH1xcJidzvAvWJe9hciyErc8oD0d0iY2IeJ2KYH6bQjZrQpWL-mjv2NpWMgcrAUU94QbGmwYnmMgeE/s400/Lam.+XXIV+PAGE261.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444415557388703698" /></a>At Palenque, one of Saenz' many projects was to explore the twin temples, XVIII and XVIIIa. Within those buildings, he found 7 burials, 6 of which contained artifacts indicating that the persons buried there were royal. As you can see, the buildings are in ruin.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nf3K5gPK2WI-BPTjLxyIklTrLwL8zs2-maXV8QzmnNjDIJZ3kvA5r0RdjuN3vaaAClkhM1_wkq9V3nR6c0hQ2bUv0VyCFhCXf6H8vl1x9ETG3HnYA7VQp5kzbtyDWdxr03WiIpO7A9ih/s1600-h/TXVIII+Bodega+TXVIII+IMG23030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nf3K5gPK2WI-BPTjLxyIklTrLwL8zs2-maXV8QzmnNjDIJZ3kvA5r0RdjuN3vaaAClkhM1_wkq9V3nR6c0hQ2bUv0VyCFhCXf6H8vl1x9ETG3HnYA7VQp5kzbtyDWdxr03WiIpO7A9ih/s400/TXVIII+Bodega+TXVIII+IMG23030.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444417581351218130" /></a>Here is one of the jade pieces that was found in Tomb 2. It is displayed in the site museum. When Saenz described it, he wrote that this was an image of "halach huinic" in a seated position and Ruz describes it simply as a figure between two snakes (note the creatures on either side of the man's head). This iconographic image is the same one found throughout the Classic Maya region, so it has been studied by Mayanists again and again. More recently, many scholars have interpreted this figure as that of the maize god. I had not seen this image as labeled "halach huinic" previously, so I went to the Google Books website to try to find books where this word is used and in what context. I found several books that interpret it as meaning as in Spanish as "hombre verdadero" or "true man" (JES Thompson 1975; Ferrero 2002; Gonzalez 1998). Somehow I think that the word has lost something in the translation.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-3257615355108175382010-01-28T09:07:00.009-06:002010-01-28T11:00:40.430-06:00The Bones of K'inich Janaab' Pakal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCCh-22QNcinrXcblich-QgrxsQokctahyphenhyphenDKRmXWKIuARgnlHlrgFGyolBgg3zvilAF6-2nvfKqVb-Idypt3EaJFHvklMQJBL_yjxgras5YnpwombeRChtgzW9GouYxPb_sxDMu6kDXbA/s1600-h/Bob+Robertson.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCCh-22QNcinrXcblich-QgrxsQokctahyphenhyphenDKRmXWKIuARgnlHlrgFGyolBgg3zvilAF6-2nvfKqVb-Idypt3EaJFHvklMQJBL_yjxgras5YnpwombeRChtgzW9GouYxPb_sxDMu6kDXbA/s400/Bob+Robertson.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431826472418517570" /></a><div>As part of my research, I am investigating the personalities of those who have worked in the Palenque Cross Group and sometimes while doing this research, I come across some very interesting tidbits about these people, their actions and reactions. Recently, while going through some of Linda Schele's letters, I came across letters from Bob Robertson, the late husband of Merle Green Robertson, (photo is from Merle's book "Never in Fear") to Linda that related a very humorous and endearing event regarding the bones of K'inich Janaab' Pakal who was ancient Palenque's most influential ruler, ruling from March 23, 603 to August 28, 683.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsk4nUAix_9pGE7EwG2xGhNvDvfOo4sZ-dynOHVpYKNP0KOSSHCaxQzP4gJAfDGrcaqvXrDAGHvcKCdMBLxMirMWgkabrYHrMOr20H74D45G60XUoqZgTph7UA0pHbugV1B88_KQ7NgiO/s1600-h/Pakal's+Tomb+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsk4nUAix_9pGE7EwG2xGhNvDvfOo4sZ-dynOHVpYKNP0KOSSHCaxQzP4gJAfDGrcaqvXrDAGHvcKCdMBLxMirMWgkabrYHrMOr20H74D45G60XUoqZgTph7UA0pHbugV1B88_KQ7NgiO/s400/Pakal's+Tomb+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431829109694829650" /></a></div><div>Pakal's bones were found in 1952 by Alberto Ruz in an elaborate tomb inside the Temple of the Inscriptions. The letters are dated October and November of 1977 and they were about how the archaeologists from Mexico City were headed to Palenque to take the bones to Mexico City, do restoration work on them, and then return them to Palenque. Here is what one of the letters said:</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">Last Thursday 5 individuals from INAH descended upon the Runias for the express purpose to prepare Pacal's bones so they could be taken to Mexico City.....Telegrams and phone calls to the Governor and the Pres. and no doubt INAH; meetings of the Mayor, Carlos, David, Moises and others. The s</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#827D81">c</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">hool children were alerted for a strike and a peaceful march to the runias to protest. The Indians</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR; mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:HiddenHorzOCR; color:#645F66"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:#645F66">were notified and the townspeople were notified by use of a sound truck.</span></div><div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">Ramon (who was one of the INAH anthropologists) met with the mayor and told him they were preparing the bones to stay here at Palenque and promised the skull will be brought back. Just by chance Alberto Ruz was in Villahermosa when all this was taken place. At the moment all is quite. Some of INAH folks h</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:#827D81">a</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:#645F66">ve gone back-- the photographers. There is a committee</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;color:#645F66"> </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">set up and two watchers are constantly at the tomb for they are still working to see that the bones remain here. Yesterday's Sunday paper from Vill</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#827D81">ah</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">ermosa had headlines—</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">“INAH STEALS BONES OF PRINCE” In the article, they said some "snobs and </span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;color:#645F66">*~a* </span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#645F66">traitors call the Prince Pa</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:#827D81">c</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:#645F66">al" and international stupids say he is an astronaut.</span></p></div><div><br /></div><div>In the next letter, Bob and Merle tell Linda that none of the bones were taken out and instead the tomb had been sealed to make sure that they were secure. Even the governor of Chiapas called to make sure that the bones were not moved. To my knowledge, the bones are still in the tomb where, no doubt, they are deteriorating into dust.</div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-86094564212233035092009-11-27T10:00:00.011-06:002009-11-27T11:38:37.190-06:00Alberto Ruz, Palenque and Nelson Rockefeller<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEznR2N-p1QEcL0_u8xqgl3mx7FJapM9bzFe4eEkgQ17H3TFzWyndUYuu9k89JbqvSYKN-iZuwi5wIMppXeGsrRuUwcNCr7dV9eK_4gKf0rM882wPnhIfCM4CdwE-IYs7NebZJSqePtkxw/s1600/Life+Magazine,+Rockefeller+Museum+of+Primative+Art"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEznR2N-p1QEcL0_u8xqgl3mx7FJapM9bzFe4eEkgQ17H3TFzWyndUYuu9k89JbqvSYKN-iZuwi5wIMppXeGsrRuUwcNCr7dV9eK_4gKf0rM882wPnhIfCM4CdwE-IYs7NebZJSqePtkxw/s400/Life+Magazine,+Rockefeller+Museum+of+Primative+Art" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408818173075698322" /></a>In at least two of the INAH <i>Anales</i> reports regarding Palenque, Alberto Ruz thanked Nelson Rockefeller for the funding he contributed to the excavation projects at the site. When I read this statement, it sparked my curiosity, so I contacted the Rockefeller Foundation archives to see what I could discover about it. They sent me copies of several pieces of correspondence (1947- 1958) between Ruz, Rockefeller and the members of the Institute of Andean Research. This institute was the organization through which Rockefeller funneled the money - apparently for political reasons. Above is a picture of Rockefeller on the cover of <i>Life</i> magazine when <i>Life</i> did a story on the Museum of Primitive Art. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl6i6gxt6fk3sKTQnCSVjHxoFZcSPinwqf4vBlz-eeCWCwQjjMmPz7g6UFbXE4Jh74A9vuPTLvcF97CcNOPJTMPbIHjH0UFlrLV8WgODkpSc5JXvfQPTs9dbO5A4X3B8J6uVvfQA3OHcL/s1600/Alberto+Ruz.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 324px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl6i6gxt6fk3sKTQnCSVjHxoFZcSPinwqf4vBlz-eeCWCwQjjMmPz7g6UFbXE4Jh74A9vuPTLvcF97CcNOPJTMPbIHjH0UFlrLV8WgODkpSc5JXvfQPTs9dbO5A4X3B8J6uVvfQA3OHcL/s400/Alberto+Ruz.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408827387078091538" /></a>Above is a picture of Alberto Ruz. One of the stipulations regarding the receipt of the Rockefeller funds was that they were to go hand-in-hand with the money that the Mexican government was putting into the project. In 1955, Rockefeller requested a summary of all the funds contributed by INAH as compared to his. According to Ruz' accounting, between 1947 and 1955, Rockefeller had contributed 40% of the entire budget for the project, with INAH putting in 60%. From the tone of the correspondence between these two great men, it is possible to see that they were very warm friends. Time and time again, Ruz invited the Rockefellers to Palenque and finally they did make one visit. Ruz wrote in 1956 "My wife and I have the fondest remembrances of yours and Mrs. Rockefeller's brief stay among us." He was referencing Rockefeller's first wife, Mary Todhunter Clark, who also would eventually contribute money to the project.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq5ixg4X5Q-gsviobc8aSaffQ7YRmSFEuxNkIqilBaOqmWyGPuuxhBIDWm3k5r9N8tOMDnFpuGv0uQoE5TtRVV-k8SGVVB_acTSzbox1H7Irj8VdhApoUfpzOTMyLNGM00A-CfHEs7tZy/s1600/Mary+Todhunter+Clark+Rockefeller"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 325px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq5ixg4X5Q-gsviobc8aSaffQ7YRmSFEuxNkIqilBaOqmWyGPuuxhBIDWm3k5r9N8tOMDnFpuGv0uQoE5TtRVV-k8SGVVB_acTSzbox1H7Irj8VdhApoUfpzOTMyLNGM00A-CfHEs7tZy/s400/Mary+Todhunter+Clark+Rockefeller" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408837526963832130" /></a></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nelson Rockefeller and Mary Todhunter Clark Rockefeller</div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-20711698719564956732009-09-26T12:28:00.004-05:002009-09-26T14:32:35.071-05:00The Greater Cross Group at Palenque<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QvMkJcTsX0oPIS-PTsaWSMWoKortJmP3T5_plR-8h5bRRPbEQmgN-n1WzmmtgKwkizoQMTniwOMrBmFew3qzkjKDbpGcrZ5Io3WyX8g8FiSB5JDf4BookhcvBTgLZcZwo65ljAlJDyNd/s1600-h/Greater+Cross+Group.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QvMkJcTsX0oPIS-PTsaWSMWoKortJmP3T5_plR-8h5bRRPbEQmgN-n1WzmmtgKwkizoQMTniwOMrBmFew3qzkjKDbpGcrZ5Io3WyX8g8FiSB5JDf4BookhcvBTgLZcZwo65ljAlJDyNd/s400/Greater+Cross+Group.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385829894144582082" /></a>As I have written before, the most famous building group at Palenque is the group that contains the Temple of the Sun, Cross and the Foliated Cross. All three temples face inward toward a raised central platform that was probably used for ceremonial purposes. All three buildings have inner sanctuaries with carved monuments that have text and iconography of a similar theme. They were all built at the same time by the same ancient Maya ruler. This area is truly sacred ground, but as archaeologists who have explored the buildings to the south of this triadic complex have discovered, the sacred ground extends at least 250 meters south and then west along the Otolum River. I have labeled this area the "Greater Cross Group". It includes around 24 temples, some of which have been consolidated (restored). Others have been excavated, but remain in rubble, such as the twin temples of XVIII and XVIIIa. With the exception of Temple XVII, none of these buildings to the south of the triadic complex are accessible to the public.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-21713161161214819662009-09-05T19:33:00.005-05:002009-09-05T20:03:38.379-05:00A Questionnaire for Archaeologists - The Use of Digital Technologies During Excavation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTrDlIVxIeivSeQZc7FvtIzDaprdsNth-tVBN6J7babs9891LI3UkZ8xrBajPi_GgRnasgW7x3LpeqUEIBVYjtrwag7hoyBQLnUfT-PPdRT075nK17uu3zIvwafOPWSvSVLIDM1lMUaSU/s1600-h/In+Alfonso%27s+Library.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTrDlIVxIeivSeQZc7FvtIzDaprdsNth-tVBN6J7babs9891LI3UkZ8xrBajPi_GgRnasgW7x3LpeqUEIBVYjtrwag7hoyBQLnUfT-PPdRT075nK17uu3zIvwafOPWSvSVLIDM1lMUaSU/s400/In+Alfonso%27s+Library.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378153424652952530" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">As part of my dissertation research project, I have developed a questionnaire on Survey Monkey in hopes that I will be able to gather statistical information about how archaeologists are using digital technology during archaeological excavations. If any my readers out there have worked at an excavation site within the last two or three years, I would be honored and grateful if you could complete this survey. Also, pass this link to others who might be interested.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=m4ooKtjqAhF6US5H1AcAfA_3d_3d" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.<wbr>aspx?sm=<wbr>m4ooKtjqAhF6US5H1AcAfA_3d_3d</a></span>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-23351592779812286452009-08-16T21:13:00.010-05:002009-08-18T16:17:44.679-05:00Palenque's Greatest Story Teller<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGn802uno4uso1xFFsYa6Znq1crmeZjLn0ChCwsF6W7E40ZvoPHHgb87OnatsPVp9uPtILcJPO5M9vcfloqDhyphenhyphene2GCm-Npg0mlztGNt0_e8wa17ZnSlAgIddsIQ8fcDW7OKt9HUCUgK3XJ/s1600-h/David+and+Moises.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGn802uno4uso1xFFsYa6Znq1crmeZjLn0ChCwsF6W7E40ZvoPHHgb87OnatsPVp9uPtILcJPO5M9vcfloqDhyphenhyphene2GCm-Npg0mlztGNt0_e8wa17ZnSlAgIddsIQ8fcDW7OKt9HUCUgK3XJ/s400/David+and+Moises.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371412119116026898" /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal">My sweetheart David came to Palenque to take me home after the accident, but before we left, we spent some time reminiscing with Don Moises Morales. In case you don't know him, I should give you some background. David and Linda Schele met Moises Morales 39 years ago during their very first visit to Palenque. Gillette Griffin (1991) writes that Moises was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“that very special man who had shared the magic of Palenque with thousands of pilgrims over the years. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Moises took the Scheles and their party for a walk deep into the jungle.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He showed them the beautiful cascades that splash down into stone basins under the dense jungle canopy, and revealed to them the presence of ruined walls and buildings everywhere.” Another well-known Palenque scholar, Merle Green Robertson identifies Don Moises Morales as "the greatest 'storyteller' in all Palenque.</p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObnI-YoZ72jImCfPoEdQyAaAiAkcnjyYBC5xAFvNJsb0Y3SMKTZGCvMkUjW72m9gdJOa7KhtN5rGAyjAIxtLDLnroMqXcynBO2p0pQMLO82gtLLnhaD3ch44zI9C2QS9pQF7oW9BFpQyl/s1600-h/David+%26+Elaine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObnI-YoZ72jImCfPoEdQyAaAiAkcnjyYBC5xAFvNJsb0Y3SMKTZGCvMkUjW72m9gdJOa7KhtN5rGAyjAIxtLDLnroMqXcynBO2p0pQMLO82gtLLnhaD3ch44zI9C2QS9pQF7oW9BFpQyl/s400/David+%26+Elaine.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371412813940976034" /></a>The picture above was taken just after David and I finished having lunch at El Panchan <a href="http://elpanchan.com/alojamiento_eng.htm">http://elpanchan.com/alojamiento_eng.htm</a>. It's a very fine restaurant that sits adjacent to the ancient site of Palenque, but is within the Morales family compound. You can see that my cast is gone and is replaced by a brace, since the broken wrist isn't healed yet. <div><div></div></div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-65845949517824311542009-08-05T06:54:00.009-05:002009-08-05T09:08:47.881-05:00La Mujer Bionica<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oeZ8VaYfKEfyEgGmVZEeXJmbqFBQx55E6elnMGLuGTGio9EHJ0NuQ_ViQRDO6BysIIGiodnFxyTQl05v72e8JqRYs0xlAIbAd0pe0JhONNISUpaI0_ezK8mVFqi8mLrCxtpj9TWI-D26/s1600-h/my+cyborg+arm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oeZ8VaYfKEfyEgGmVZEeXJmbqFBQx55E6elnMGLuGTGio9EHJ0NuQ_ViQRDO6BysIIGiodnFxyTQl05v72e8JqRYs0xlAIbAd0pe0JhONNISUpaI0_ezK8mVFqi8mLrCxtpj9TWI-D26/s400/my+cyborg+arm.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366448564188747442" /></a>My daughter's boyfriend, Richard, gave me kudos for sharing a picture of my cyborg arm with the family (the device is actually called an external fixation device), so I decided that I should blog it too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4e2cl1Cgx2nb8LlmZGVOUKPDttdAL1IHWfMPiDVS_3SnxycfJEGODK6u7b2qZxZSUeXmAtakrAb8ce460Afuw-qCUAj5cZiw2jId5dQ9o41j7zj5kBs0u64gW3PKB8_b8wvg4gFhgmlR/s1600-h/Dona+Mary+cleaning+it.jpg"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4e2cl1Cgx2nb8LlmZGVOUKPDttdAL1IHWfMPiDVS_3SnxycfJEGODK6u7b2qZxZSUeXmAtakrAb8ce460Afuw-qCUAj5cZiw2jId5dQ9o41j7zj5kBs0u64gW3PKB8_b8wvg4gFhgmlR/s400/Dona+Mary+cleaning+it.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366450010333696162" /></a>As you can see here, the scabs on my face are gone and the redmarks are slowly disappearing. Doña Mary is cleaning my wrist in this picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv32pZsXAlzcDVpL5wLD8yHiPFwjRZcMb23jQJ8qxe_Y4QIcWAfAOBlJFDqvviguF1CLej1K5iUinDY6uwlLcyzolzjdnhTxYgtW6yh-efrqAGNr6y46qBVqe-q3r87Bqo60iCcCN32Us/s1600-h/Dona+Mary+and+Elsa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv32pZsXAlzcDVpL5wLD8yHiPFwjRZcMb23jQJ8qxe_Y4QIcWAfAOBlJFDqvviguF1CLej1K5iUinDY6uwlLcyzolzjdnhTxYgtW6yh-efrqAGNr6y46qBVqe-q3r87Bqo60iCcCN32Us/s400/Dona+Mary+and+Elsa.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366452288826685522" /></a>Now, I want you to meet two people who are very important in my life right now. This is a picture of Doña Mary and her granddaughter, Elsa. They prepare my food, help me with my bath, do my laundry AND on top of that, they are helping me improve my conversational Spanish. Here you see them all dressed up and ready for the annual Palenque Feria. In case you may be wondering about the carved monument to the right, it represents K'inich Akul Mo' Nab' (one of the kings of Palenque) -- a beautiful carving that Alfonso has placed in his front yard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0B7LFDqPQXlKYej7niWS-PA3T9X_Zpx-maM-QejnZUwP9r43SFgHhP_S8LG4hxLOyKIn2qStQZfgr3yUT0WQo_PrWuC2fmnTdLqykziA1mer8RF3XcnYLiNFVpYmbm-rvyc2C9HgKKQB/s1600-h/Alfonso's+Project+Files.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0B7LFDqPQXlKYej7niWS-PA3T9X_Zpx-maM-QejnZUwP9r43SFgHhP_S8LG4hxLOyKIn2qStQZfgr3yUT0WQo_PrWuC2fmnTdLqykziA1mer8RF3XcnYLiNFVpYmbm-rvyc2C9HgKKQB/s400/Alfonso's+Project+Files.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366464930458985682" /></a><br />And now, because of all the prayers and assistance that I have gotten from friends and family -- ESPECIALLY THE HELP I GOT FOM KIKE MORALES (Alfonso's Brother), I am finally able to turn my attention back to exploring and documenting the excavation history of the Group of the Cross (from the 1700's to the 2000's). The above is a photo of a very unassuming file cabinet that contains lots of awesome history about the Group of the Cross Project (1997 - 2001) and Alfonso has given me access to it, as well as to so many other documents in his library. To learn more about the "Group of the Cross Project" go to: <a href="http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/current_dig.html">http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/current_dig.html</a>.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-59542228980963751402009-07-19T09:47:00.017-05:002009-07-19T13:10:46.297-05:00Falling for Felines<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhQ7Ym8HzTMKJNGH4_ndlLWYN03umyFtJCwZPzusrhVFC0wI85mo3QtI3zpOlvTdb89rUFgipxROCylJHdsrdvT1eOzOqYOVjnw2uaHrz8fVetyQ8SZpLm1-FeywLX7QSa83m7d3vBGh8/s1600-h/Kitty+Corner.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhQ7Ym8HzTMKJNGH4_ndlLWYN03umyFtJCwZPzusrhVFC0wI85mo3QtI3zpOlvTdb89rUFgipxROCylJHdsrdvT1eOzOqYOVjnw2uaHrz8fVetyQ8SZpLm1-FeywLX7QSa83m7d3vBGh8/s400/Kitty+Corner.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360221146828182274" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">This time, my post is not about my dissertation work or about ancient Palenque, but rather about a temporary setback I am experiencing due to an unfortunate miscalculation I made while trying to keep some newborn kitties from getting soaked from an approaching rainstorm. It happened the afternoon of July 10th at the house where I am staying in the town of Palenque, Mexico.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqXnEkapulQqOq2_6J95rkO_unfPdJ8u7fxslNNCr9wkcwGgYM2zucYGVSOofdSg5pMx4X1aniUj4YRApoGhjjztjPUNh82PAwRn1ExSlklZmIzMVRkV4Qk46vUyF2p0TNMVx7Q4c57xE/s1600-h/Kitty+Corner+from+above.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqXnEkapulQqOq2_6J95rkO_unfPdJ8u7fxslNNCr9wkcwGgYM2zucYGVSOofdSg5pMx4X1aniUj4YRApoGhjjztjPUNh82PAwRn1ExSlklZmIzMVRkV4Qk46vUyF2p0TNMVx7Q4c57xE/s400/Kitty+Corner+from+above.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360224578520916018" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mommy kitty had given birth in an outside corner of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is a small overhang above, but there are very strong winds that blow through here, so I decided to go upstairs to the flat roof above to see what I could do to protect them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This is a top view of the corner.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGcA-EuCKHW1gHcJZvvKJoU3YFlSwOUr_cENhIdGcKG0_WzScUQOyjHHaS5wnoOABqHVTbRMxJzb_I_bYHQpjB0DuAjnhL-CErmzheYvc-e0VbGAtgfRLQA9cuuNaTU_lFbrUxABhj-zt/s1600-h/Sheet+Metal.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGcA-EuCKHW1gHcJZvvKJoU3YFlSwOUr_cENhIdGcKG0_WzScUQOyjHHaS5wnoOABqHVTbRMxJzb_I_bYHQpjB0DuAjnhL-CErmzheYvc-e0VbGAtgfRLQA9cuuNaTU_lFbrUxABhj-zt/s400/Sheet+Metal.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360226158623133730" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">On the roof, I saw some sheet metal that I could simply move over a few feet so that it would overhang the corner and add protection (the sheet metal has now been moved back to the other side).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Somehow, as I was doing this, I lost track of where the edge of the roof was located.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If I had been standing, I would have noticed the location of the wooden railing that goes along the edge, but I was in a squatting position the whole time, as I moved the sheet metal over.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjpcTD48OKNVYF_3Xsnu0A_XD1dpwGoEr7bHTNC9JmGUeBhgoHVk2LM4YTWGFZFFNWn6hahG6cZB3qUIspASKltA_0z9v-2K3kncOXkVeiLirumj_HvgJcG-i0LtIwKVT-PC7Z6i3Mqnq/s1600-h/100_0069.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjpcTD48OKNVYF_3Xsnu0A_XD1dpwGoEr7bHTNC9JmGUeBhgoHVk2LM4YTWGFZFFNWn6hahG6cZB3qUIspASKltA_0z9v-2K3kncOXkVeiLirumj_HvgJcG-i0LtIwKVT-PC7Z6i3Mqnq/s400/100_0069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360227288297622546" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I then stepped on a portion of the sheet metal that was not stable and went tumbling down.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZdY_R5Gh6U1uZ2jD-7c_29A3tlj2r7NDOPVyQzczPq5G8Oen20_oeWUiHCO8wrH9VYPR8uciOw8hclQEZK3gO_NgCeXZPxOHDatw8vvvFR7TsgoQzHqf5nM3c7mWXELYowo8J3NbOxQ1/s1600-h/From+Roof+to+Ground.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZdY_R5Gh6U1uZ2jD-7c_29A3tlj2r7NDOPVyQzczPq5G8Oen20_oeWUiHCO8wrH9VYPR8uciOw8hclQEZK3gO_NgCeXZPxOHDatw8vvvFR7TsgoQzHqf5nM3c7mWXELYowo8J3NbOxQ1/s400/From+Roof+to+Ground.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360229142083171266" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The distance I fell measures about 4 or 5 meters.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRFreFNNP6jkYHZ1dcXEwDHIhPK5Nn2tV-7COMshHTYmAS6LbNgSYtc7E6XQSz2JBw7yzwC-Fvv2_YqjzoIQ0B8Qx6-xYVHKoRpfyysdkI6pe9LKUA5-TDU1xPB5ormdWNqSk01HLnZ2P/s1600-h/Where+I+Landed.JPG"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRFreFNNP6jkYHZ1dcXEwDHIhPK5Nn2tV-7COMshHTYmAS6LbNgSYtc7E6XQSz2JBw7yzwC-Fvv2_YqjzoIQ0B8Qx6-xYVHKoRpfyysdkI6pe9LKUA5-TDU1xPB5ormdWNqSk01HLnZ2P/s400/Where+I+Landed.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360230560841757410" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;">This is where I landed.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWh2vkmF0J-xanuR5MYHBF9KEYyUiKVs9PtgfN_wqsVrLdzY7TQHyTKs94WTwMqas6HYqPwJ8v6lRc3CrMqD6iNZYdM-dOmVoXSAde_xY69kAj4Xb-B7Jxf8FD1MZ60IrC3eeSEpbtDJT/s1600-h/Me.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWh2vkmF0J-xanuR5MYHBF9KEYyUiKVs9PtgfN_wqsVrLdzY7TQHyTKs94WTwMqas6HYqPwJ8v6lRc3CrMqD6iNZYdM-dOmVoXSAde_xY69kAj4Xb-B7Jxf8FD1MZ60IrC3eeSEpbtDJT/s400/Me.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360231313476709346" /></a>This picture of my wounded self was taken July 15th - 5 days after the accident.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> One wrist has pins in it and the other is in a cast. </span>I looked pretty bad, but I am healing very well now and I continue to receive lots of prayers and assistance from loved ones and friends. Hey, I can even blog now! Life is good.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzYMe_xKwpjOonfzj7wXxc1XwmVMqY2UICL6vS0Yj7ZnXsvu8O8tVRxsxAhz9QaHo6maK3LqUyv7uz1YN3cHbMOGt2QVLW9hOwga8A1bNcscC1F2d-SvHiD6tqY7X5jvv09a4mCpx8jH8/s1600-h/100_0080.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzYMe_xKwpjOonfzj7wXxc1XwmVMqY2UICL6vS0Yj7ZnXsvu8O8tVRxsxAhz9QaHo6maK3LqUyv7uz1YN3cHbMOGt2QVLW9hOwga8A1bNcscC1F2d-SvHiD6tqY7X5jvv09a4mCpx8jH8/s400/100_0080.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360232863100819762" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Soon after the Mexican Red Cross ambulance took me on the harrowing two-hour ride to the hospital in Villahermosa, mommy kitty moved her brood into the kitchen cabinet, next to the stove. All safe and sound now. Aren't they cute?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-23530777999546021122009-04-28T09:52:00.039-05:002009-06-07T22:21:28.780-05:00SAA Slides, GIScience and Temple of the Cross<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt; line-height:normal"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-themefont-family:";color:text1;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Hello friends. The FTP site where I had previously stored several of the links in my last post is no longer working, so I have uploaded my files to another Internet location (Google Docs) and I have now updated my previous blog posting as can be seen below.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-themefont-family:";color:text1;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here is the slide presentation that I created for the 2009 Society of American Archaeologists Conference in Atlanta:<br /></span></span></p><span style="Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-themefont-family:";color:text1;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span><p></p><span style="Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-themefont-family:";color:text1;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe src="http://docs.google.com/EmbedSlideshow?id=dpjgj2q_609mtdrzdg" frameborder="0" width="410" height="342"></iframe></div></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0E0010;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is the new link to the Palenque Flyover:<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rMwNdJodPiw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rMwNdJodPiw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-2992637832789609572009-04-17T08:58:00.008-05:002009-04-17T15:50:34.865-05:00Cache Configuration - Temple of Cross<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyad3Z_Z7ISXbVGdXjZ4lkYenA-hGOa7L8X7kt7b-ik-96SL0Wz1r80M8eg2rXiFxw-YX9SlyF2-5rA_5dFSyVf2_J4u8tr3nJucN53PE9kWAcKLCQBtDe0jfkh82rL6gaZTm26y7qi7EI/s1600-h/Relationship+of+Monuments+to+Caches.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyad3Z_Z7ISXbVGdXjZ4lkYenA-hGOa7L8X7kt7b-ik-96SL0Wz1r80M8eg2rXiFxw-YX9SlyF2-5rA_5dFSyVf2_J4u8tr3nJucN53PE9kWAcKLCQBtDe0jfkh82rL6gaZTm26y7qi7EI/s400/Relationship+of+Monuments+to+Caches.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325756531810466930" /></a>The above map displays all the caches that have been excavated as of this date, inside the Temple of the Cross sanctuary and Temple building. The colors correspond to the names of the explorer or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">archaeologist</span> that discovered them. I have superimposed a drawing of the "principal bird deity" (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Titiana</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Proskouriakoff</span>''s reconstruction) onto the cornice of the inner sanctuary. The results are an interesting configuration. You might need to enlarge the map to see this bird better. From this perspective, it looks as though there is a correlation between the location of the purple caches and the wings of the bird deity. If you assume that the bird is diving down, he also might be headed for the purple cache (one directly in front of him) and three yellow caches, perhaps scooping them up as he dives.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAoaaUaopH0BXNn954w2oIc6RALUCI21d7AKgYCVkev3-abRpXLzjJHrUgX1NrbOIfbxbZV6zog9D_SesRTVXkip7_FNiOx1qKlFmNw49zqlY9EZsTbBYCk_zAALj_cNJjTuQQJJNPZyU/s1600-h/Cross+Inner+Shrine+Proskouriakoff+1963+Album.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAoaaUaopH0BXNn954w2oIc6RALUCI21d7AKgYCVkev3-abRpXLzjJHrUgX1NrbOIfbxbZV6zog9D_SesRTVXkip7_FNiOx1qKlFmNw49zqlY9EZsTbBYCk_zAALj_cNJjTuQQJJNPZyU/s400/Cross+Inner+Shrine+Proskouriakoff+1963+Album.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325759937516132194" /></a></div><div>This is the complete reconstructed drawing that Tatiana did of the sanctuary. Isn't it amazing? But now you can see that the purple caches under the wings also correlate to the location of the two figures under each wing. Perhaps those caches were meant for them. The figure on the right is the deity commonly called "God L" and the one on the left is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">K'inich</span> Kan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">B'ahlam</span> dressed in the guise of an ancient ancestor (Stuart 2006).</div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-6695193864780118662009-03-31T08:28:00.015-05:002009-03-31T10:32:30.395-05:00Clarification on the Term "Incensario"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk7gaMQVNdKS8J6X_CwO5goQxociO1kTgCqumJztrLOMu2uwMXtP96cLLphXxSn_fT2b7YNNZyU7Fj7ilNug-BPQXf7DkI_ymq65w_-lJ6l5SLthEOLrn-3Oo1xnLTz1mfw731XO5AElf/s1600-h/Archaeologia+page+84+Vol+8,+T+Cruz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 295px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk7gaMQVNdKS8J6X_CwO5goQxociO1kTgCqumJztrLOMu2uwMXtP96cLLphXxSn_fT2b7YNNZyU7Fj7ilNug-BPQXf7DkI_ymq65w_-lJ6l5SLthEOLrn-3Oo1xnLTz1mfw731XO5AElf/s400/Archaeologia+page+84+Vol+8,+T+Cruz.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319357541514865842" /></a>I just realized that some of my readers might not have know what I was referring to in my previous post when I wrote the term Palenque "incensario". The image above is an example of an incensario that was found in the terraces of the Temple of the Cross. In reality, these large ceramic artifacts are believed to be the stands that went on top of the incensario (Spanish word for censor). The censors and their associated stands were used by ancient Palencanos to burn incense for the veneration of their 3 major gods.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv7uRgpMtM1OoF_AueBgKV-sPgwd_OlxfICLryx0A66aPmr5S244k8PYIdfnSr7jGpUag_ZsOBkm72QJeN3Y6M_UVcgaTHmCWqPr27ezTaGMfcVqfeo7eT1N19Rb3jb6ePDQe1OS6IKIw/s1600-h/Native+American+Totum.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 341px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv7uRgpMtM1OoF_AueBgKV-sPgwd_OlxfICLryx0A66aPmr5S244k8PYIdfnSr7jGpUag_ZsOBkm72QJeN3Y6M_UVcgaTHmCWqPr27ezTaGMfcVqfeo7eT1N19Rb3jb6ePDQe1OS6IKIw/s400/Native+American+Totum.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319361798064063090" /></a>Above is an image of a North American totum pole. The man standing beside the pole is unidentified in the book from which I scanned this photo (Nabokov and Easton 1989). The reason that I include a picture of a totum pole here is because Miguel Angel Fernandez, an archaeologist who excavated at Palenque in the 1940's was one of the first to notice the resemblance of the incensarios to North American totum poles. According to Alfonso Morales, one of the more recent archaeologist who has worked at Palenque, the earliest term used to describe the "porta-incensarios" was "cilindro".Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-10906183573238164572009-03-29T08:52:00.005-05:002009-03-29T10:43:43.089-05:00Bird's Eye View from El Mirador Hill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYENWpAffgM269H1SyZ7elw1SuwJrG3Qdr5yOxTorNhjsKZoTfIS01pSCgv0hdVFwbX5q4cOX2-mcg0Bz5YvqKAp9GPPG9pGnFW2Z_G17WLyFRDrhNc1DACCr3K9ArgnxZlSi4E43tn67c/s1600-h/View+of+Cross+Group+From+Mirador+Hill.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYENWpAffgM269H1SyZ7elw1SuwJrG3Qdr5yOxTorNhjsKZoTfIS01pSCgv0hdVFwbX5q4cOX2-mcg0Bz5YvqKAp9GPPG9pGnFW2Z_G17WLyFRDrhNc1DACCr3K9ArgnxZlSi4E43tn67c/s400/View+of+Cross+Group+From+Mirador+Hill.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318625348103597026" /></a>Using ArcScene, I was able to create another model of the Palenque site and this is a view of the site from El Mirador hill. On top of the hill, you can see a crude model of an ancient structure. David Stuart (2006:92) has interpreted the glyphs that refer to this mountain as "the descending Quetzal Big Mountain". It definitely gives us a "bird's eye view", doesn't it?<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispqf-NqAhXbiUlptJw6jKO8sAJFqqELEcgouNSK1VIRApuwGFMz2ZQNpFenxs1gQO9PkER6SykqDIByHC8ZjZhFskmIFIDuGx86Sv4X5YwVPqX4dUVa0g6t_DmksVMMaZFr7_l5K0HWBv/s1600-h/Cataloging+Incensarios.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispqf-NqAhXbiUlptJw6jKO8sAJFqqELEcgouNSK1VIRApuwGFMz2ZQNpFenxs1gQO9PkER6SykqDIByHC8ZjZhFskmIFIDuGx86Sv4X5YwVPqX4dUVa0g6t_DmksVMMaZFr7_l5K0HWBv/s400/Cataloging+Incensarios.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318625343568304018" /></a>One of my most important tasks in developing a GIS Palenque is to catalog and geocode the incensarios and their pictures. Above is a screen shot of my use of Excel and Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer) to try to match pictures to each artifact. Having a unique catalog number is a major key in my research, so I must not only keep track of the old artifact number, but create unique new ones, since the old ones often have duplicated numbers that were assigned from various excavation projects at the site. To my knowledge, there is no centralized database of all the excavations that have been done at this site. These pictures are from Martha Cuevas' dissertation about the incensarios.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN7EeufQQGpMCEL3lt-NxqxvLU8FoBSnVVm4VeAkzlFnT6bo9o3MKqTaW9UkXqXj0a71kzxbsENpdSW5eRX-H6K1md84Kj-wJNzndJfK9KvG4UxM2hjIJfvCCEIE9Cpt88aW4ml2MxbgX/s1600-h/Flash+Link+to+Pictures.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN7EeufQQGpMCEL3lt-NxqxvLU8FoBSnVVm4VeAkzlFnT6bo9o3MKqTaW9UkXqXj0a71kzxbsENpdSW5eRX-H6K1md84Kj-wJNzndJfK9KvG4UxM2hjIJfvCCEIE9Cpt88aW4ml2MxbgX/s400/Flash+Link+to+Pictures.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318625336983300802" /></a>My next task is to create links of all those pictures to each of the little dots on the map that represent the incensarios. In this way, you can use the "lighting cursor" to click on each dot and a picture of that specific incensario will appear in a pop-up window.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qBAcMrqHlz0-K0yTFhUA5lsSzC85WilxGHzmkFZGP1HBGGRzNeCCdqXlX16iKWD1apINVk2ZmIhSkyIn9INt3TrTr00SZiJJEDsN2y57raIDz2JILJx-GLTnkXaA2JKdNGfcI3yoMZHm/s1600-h/Pages+from+Clock.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qBAcMrqHlz0-K0yTFhUA5lsSzC85WilxGHzmkFZGP1HBGGRzNeCCdqXlX16iKWD1apINVk2ZmIhSkyIn9INt3TrTr00SZiJJEDsN2y57raIDz2JILJx-GLTnkXaA2JKdNGfcI3yoMZHm/s400/Pages+from+Clock.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318625340709289506" /></a>Another one of my research tasks is to comb through the old records and written narratives to try to reconstruct the location of the tombs and caches that were not properly documented. Some of the first archaeological discoveries at Palenque were done before archaeology actually became a science and before the age of portable cameras. Therefore, early discoveries were not properly documented, however some early explorers wrote down what they found. Above is map that I created to try to determine the location of "a series of sealed tombs" that Edward Thompson discovered in the late 19th century.</div><div><br /></div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-66993047989525784282009-03-14T20:48:00.005-05:002009-03-14T21:18:19.900-05:00What a Mess<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLa_oaIsmV0iEabuiG03CzDvEmKnOBzUqvLYkEKk0nJkoWhG4gSXIwABLarj2Jvr8pwO5-wOjJYa35RFTWLYPhs3bbsJoz2g4Xyr6brORR908ModL8iTNjSfB47480Y7pOmfUJpH7GiBt/s1600-h/My+Notes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313225934734286274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLa_oaIsmV0iEabuiG03CzDvEmKnOBzUqvLYkEKk0nJkoWhG4gSXIwABLarj2Jvr8pwO5-wOjJYa35RFTWLYPhs3bbsJoz2g4Xyr6brORR908ModL8iTNjSfB47480Y7pOmfUJpH7GiBt/s400/My+Notes.jpg" border="0" /></a> One of the most important things that I must do in order to move forward with my dissertation research is to establish artifact typologies and classifications. I have spent the last two weeks working on these classifications and I think that I have finally made some progress. Above is a photo of only a few of the lists and categories that I have created, deleted and edited. <div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3TeYbcX0MR9XGlbiE2s_ABEmQnA3ABTVyPhAZlEBr3kny6OhVL25_euaZGPBICPDN5KBjbLjjNDV325KMHNqhipW5KhCWESrGzkhCBudSquMtQ3M662t1h0YkTLPFHXx2tvOxRZ0sDzv/s1600-h/Geodatabases.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313226159481733490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 323px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3TeYbcX0MR9XGlbiE2s_ABEmQnA3ABTVyPhAZlEBr3kny6OhVL25_euaZGPBICPDN5KBjbLjjNDV325KMHNqhipW5KhCWESrGzkhCBudSquMtQ3M662t1h0YkTLPFHXx2tvOxRZ0sDzv/s400/Geodatabases.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This painful and confusing process has helped me decide upon what feature datasets and feature classes I should create in ArcGIS and what corresponding Excel spreadsheets that I should formulate so that I can link the spreadsheets into the map. Above is a screenshot of ArcCatalog where you can see some of my categories. By entering artifact numbers into the appropriate feature class category and then placing that same artifact number in the Excel spreadsheet containing data about that artifact, I will be able to link the map with the data in a simple manner that even novice GIS users can replicate. One of my research goals is to try to figure out how to encourage Mesoamerican archaeologists to use GIS applications and I think that this linking method will help.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-74392390868437137882008-12-18T12:43:00.003-06:002009-01-01T22:48:27.076-06:00Caches of the Temple of the Cross<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbknAaSImfRviyHqD5RyvIeFQ81aTLp608hSN95fd40c58sGvmW-DkmmmNVPgozxRaugswc_1AIdZePmYuoaH1_qGUvwmHSK_CljtpqfN2wbme-AmugHWQg0Hf136rgcoy0ji6DXYGLvk/s1600-h/Cross+Group.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281217333173390722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 355px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbknAaSImfRviyHqD5RyvIeFQ81aTLp608hSN95fd40c58sGvmW-DkmmmNVPgozxRaugswc_1AIdZePmYuoaH1_qGUvwmHSK_CljtpqfN2wbme-AmugHWQg0Hf136rgcoy0ji6DXYGLvk/s400/Cross+Group.jpg" border="0" /></a>You may remember the above map as a smaller portion of a map that I posted in an earlier entry (it was annotated by Linda Schele) when I was discussing archaeologists that have excavated at Palenque. The map does not display those made by Miguel Angel Fernandez in the early 1940s where he found several caches in the Temple of the Cross and Sun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro9pTTCXiGWsNCrPmyiE7TXzHnoapb-wU4oicm7vdANiS1oh9yqT25sm1qSy1j1oi2NQWTO0OgACFgZ-U5niRQ2gT7Gs3NDvQKLbri1Iqd6gC0v4dukWDuFHfI7WC8y777cc45tXkCr73/s1600-h/Small+T+of+Cross.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281217789814430962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro9pTTCXiGWsNCrPmyiE7TXzHnoapb-wU4oicm7vdANiS1oh9yqT25sm1qSy1j1oi2NQWTO0OgACFgZ-U5niRQ2gT7Gs3NDvQKLbri1Iqd6gC0v4dukWDuFHfI7WC8y777cc45tXkCr73/s400/Small+T+of+Cross.jpg" border="0" /> </a></p><p></p><p></p><p align="center">Temple of the Cross<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNQ3Fbbr330ZQj4bqHgyALHIRqnyl9a8ORa7WLTG0RBHQ76jNc6bKiEGICcUPGjfO1yMCrDQTzepBF3tHucmmooQF2d-6U6yA4cZ-ooyqVahaQRDCkarpHT_xZ6RD4_gy3XOezF_q1j1U/s1600-h/IMG_1596.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281219265834648946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNQ3Fbbr330ZQj4bqHgyALHIRqnyl9a8ORa7WLTG0RBHQ76jNc6bKiEGICcUPGjfO1yMCrDQTzepBF3tHucmmooQF2d-6U6yA4cZ-ooyqVahaQRDCkarpHT_xZ6RD4_gy3XOezF_q1j1U/s400/IMG_1596.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Temple of the Sun</p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"></p><p align="left">The underground caching of objects by the ancient Maya people was a frequent ritual behavior and is evidenced in the archaeological record throughout the Maya Area, particularly within sacred temples. These caches often take the form of buried and covered pots that contain a variety of objects including things such as human bones, charred flowers, figurines and obsidian lances.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA6WSl43H5YMW4rNXe-b8UKId63Ny-f8VRdHMyFLRG3kuEBkV2T_brE-jXo6WimaEKHokfq562nK6I0Q-vCk2y2rEQSR6nBuKLHpAij_2eYmmXp6T0jXglXjsEEjEgEcx_WTdCsDmzOd5/s1600-h/Oferendas+Archaeologia+page+65+Vol+8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281213979425863522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA6WSl43H5YMW4rNXe-b8UKId63Ny-f8VRdHMyFLRG3kuEBkV2T_brE-jXo6WimaEKHokfq562nK6I0Q-vCk2y2rEQSR6nBuKLHpAij_2eYmmXp6T0jXglXjsEEjEgEcx_WTdCsDmzOd5/s400/Oferendas+Archaeologia+page+65+Vol+8.jpg" border="0" /></a>Photo Credit: Archaeologia Mexicana and Marco Antonio Pacheco/Raices</p><p>The pot on the left above was found in the Temple of the Cross by the Fernandez in 1941. When there are multiple caches in one building, the configuration of how they are laid out can have ritual or symbolic meaning. For instance, many are found in the shape of a cross or in the shape of a quincunx (one in each corner of the building and then one in the middle).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUWCqyh74gKl37kmPZ9xnMqzeE5SYdGQJh29wsWpp3TgfCUf1KbgLaf3ug2Ayjirt1jGxYRDR_9eWN0t-OLXM-OJYLXP5mBXYyVVs2JZg5to-uzTIlxY8mOY0D4-H3vT0jMxrWYpPMm7h/s1600-h/Temple+of+the+Cross+Building+Layout+with+Caches.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281218274778330866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUWCqyh74gKl37kmPZ9xnMqzeE5SYdGQJh29wsWpp3TgfCUf1KbgLaf3ug2Ayjirt1jGxYRDR_9eWN0t-OLXM-OJYLXP5mBXYyVVs2JZg5to-uzTIlxY8mOY0D4-H3vT0jMxrWYpPMm7h/s400/Temple+of+the+Cross+Building+Layout+with+Caches.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />But the grouped cache excavated by Fernandez shown in the diagram above was of a very strange configuration that he postulated was in the shape of the big and little dipper (he also thought that it could be a coincidence). The layout does not quite fit these two constellations and the ancient Maya would surely have made it more precise, if that was their intention. What do you think it might represent or is this just a random "building ensoulment".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-P_aKhUI7ca0WB4e2eHXYL-LcFcXuDWgEB_Qhc6gxo3Hj5MpB5ZVVcgKVrQnAiTOS45JhIqVSvBxPN2gM-E2NU16ksT8yWkQHOfA7N1qDoZJUbJcbheGhjdNZnKLlyTKQGRGUGot5eDP/s1600-h/IMG_1849.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281218527802924082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-P_aKhUI7ca0WB4e2eHXYL-LcFcXuDWgEB_Qhc6gxo3Hj5MpB5ZVVcgKVrQnAiTOS45JhIqVSvBxPN2gM-E2NU16ksT8yWkQHOfA7N1qDoZJUbJcbheGhjdNZnKLlyTKQGRGUGot5eDP/s400/IMG_1849.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here is a picture of some of the holes in the floor of the building. It was hard to take this photo, since I had to try to fit my camera through the screening device protecting the sanctuary. You may ask “how did Fernandez know where to dig for these caches?” He knew where they were because he could see the holes in the stucco of the floor where they had been patched up. </p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-79505697981300410612008-11-22T08:48:00.006-06:002012-12-10T20:22:38.653-06:00Out of Context<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bDtFRS1PXw8gOLFvxjNcpivBsAlOVVVG8hNbHot_OKzeoFZXmqkvUByc_Fzk_09qv7-YlJ6O-rZrsB0mGHOVw12tn6LHf3-8ywGHYx4BnpzRWwfMZVBsZjKj4CUsBFtOYJ1bbC9GRlly/s1600-h/Looting+at+Palenque.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bDtFRS1PXw8gOLFvxjNcpivBsAlOVVVG8hNbHot_OKzeoFZXmqkvUByc_Fzk_09qv7-YlJ6O-rZrsB0mGHOVw12tn6LHf3-8ywGHYx4BnpzRWwfMZVBsZjKj4CUsBFtOYJ1bbC9GRlly/s400/Looting+at+Palenque.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271505846745713938" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 374px;" /></a>There was a time in world history when people did not know that the act of taking artifacts from an ancient city would create serious obstacles for scholars who try to reconstruct that city's history and so people thoughtlessly grabbed them up and took them home with them. However in today's world when people are supposed to know better, the behavior still goes on. Many ancient objects from Mesoamerican are scattered in private collections and museums throughout the world, thus these objects are out of context and we don't know much about them. I tell you this as an introduction to the above article that I found on Google Books – an article that comes from a magazine called "Historical Magazine", published in 1859.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0xPX97qJF9s5VUb3fj0XVNXf7xJJlztxUp9ssu10BWvhr88jUV6lVeeOWenzviILCYMdSpxw1KXJRrp4kiWHHGJRBBk9jbm9MvmbeEyoPKQPMk5az_Zyvpz-rXrc2MSM4PbDA9APXgND/s1600-h/Justin+Kerr+8483b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0xPX97qJF9s5VUb3fj0XVNXf7xJJlztxUp9ssu10BWvhr88jUV6lVeeOWenzviILCYMdSpxw1KXJRrp4kiWHHGJRBBk9jbm9MvmbeEyoPKQPMk5az_Zyvpz-rXrc2MSM4PbDA9APXgND/s400/Justin+Kerr+8483b.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271514622970810226" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Above is a photo of an object found in Justin Kerr's online database (at <a href="http://www.famsi.org/research/kerr/">http://www.famsi.org/research/kerr/</a>) that is very similar to the one described in the above article as a "large sacrificial collar in polished granite, in the form of a horse-shoe, with deities carved around it. This collar...was used for putting over the necks of the victim, when laid down on the sacrificial stone for the purposes of decapitation." Archaeologists now call these collars "yokes" and we have NO proof that they were used for sacrificial purposes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rGcNnolV1r4eC-uca2k4PRe_O3Fk0SWFZ2lCq6rg5MA1EB8QvCpAZpx2fFOc36VE33MzWa-POknp43mBP4SqN4mjpYSAyX39A_4-hFxFdeu-EKpH_FgIEm7sRDHjphbxU_jm69r4tlAk/s1600-h/Justin+Kerr+8298.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rGcNnolV1r4eC-uca2k4PRe_O3Fk0SWFZ2lCq6rg5MA1EB8QvCpAZpx2fFOc36VE33MzWa-POknp43mBP4SqN4mjpYSAyX39A_4-hFxFdeu-EKpH_FgIEm7sRDHjphbxU_jm69r4tlAk/s400/Justin+Kerr+8298.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271516922131280866" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Here is another from Justin's photo collection. If the yoke in the article above was indeed found at Palenque, it is likely that it was an heirloom of an ancient Palenqeno because it is from a different culture along the coast of Veracruz. Scholars who study the culture of Veracruz have speculated about the use of these yokes, but as of this writing, the jury is still out as to how they were used in ancient times. It is suspected that they may have had something to do with the Mesoamerican ballgame, since we see figurines with similar yokes around their waists.Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-77764734039733110692008-11-18T23:31:00.005-06:002008-11-19T00:03:05.537-06:00Soaking Up Knowledge<div align="center">I would like to introduce you to a group of people who are making substantial contributions to my education. They have patiently mentored me and have enlightened me regarding subjects that were so new to me only 5 years ago. I have taken classes from all of them (except Dr. Miller) and they each teach subjects related to either the ancient cultures of Mexico and Guatemala or they are experts in Geographic Information Systems and geography. They will be helping guide me through my research and the dissertation.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCFonuj2whZyq4kKnEYfT2w2r8A8PqjpSBelYk4AiGp2kYr_NCSD03FOTlA-iyomdq5aLUhpSckQkOxBgquZkpWOxDyWXah_z3B1_k5UFv2K7sKyit0x1tmxCfFzUfmET0ybv3tnizXMY/s1600-h/Jody+Horton+Statesman+Stuart.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270238249021738642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCFonuj2whZyq4kKnEYfT2w2r8A8PqjpSBelYk4AiGp2kYr_NCSD03FOTlA-iyomdq5aLUhpSckQkOxBgquZkpWOxDyWXah_z3B1_k5UFv2K7sKyit0x1tmxCfFzUfmET0ybv3tnizXMY/s400/Jody+Horton+Statesman+Stuart.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a></p><p align="center"><br />Dr. David Stuart<br />Webpage @: <a href="http://www.finearts.utexas.edu/aah/art_history/faculty/stuart.cfm">http://www.finearts.utexas.edu/aah/art_history/faculty/stuart.cfm</a><br />Thanks to Jody Horton for use of the photo. Find her webpage at <a href="http://www.jodyhorton.com/site.html">http://www.jodyhorton.com/site.html</a> </p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270238250213173058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIxbxxCIJ2XnfMi0-1t66OCcDKZLfSPlzAMFnySEq0eNVdS4LII1IoJUpSFjzZf5Xi-N4g4W41CR9KmUfPcDPQXRxz-GFMB0dXcWukHOzFwlQOFKE9K6r-M0oPeBb04nDG4JJcb9OT8gh/s400/Pic+of+Dr.+Brian+Stross.jpg" border="0" />Dr. Brian Stross </p><p align="center">Webpage at <a href="http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~strossb/">http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~strossb/</a><br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_J2LLTKU7D-QB6JLl-LtxwRnFvkwRSDdW9RzfXsFGO2V27PLKIRIes3tnTlQOt2mobBGyXNhoifC1rsVKIndCHq29QvNmmUnj5GImrP3KqS_l6lF4yzLqrk-LffojXgrAmUCcentZzIab/s1600-h/Dr.+Jennifer+Miller.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270243647061128034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_J2LLTKU7D-QB6JLl-LtxwRnFvkwRSDdW9RzfXsFGO2V27PLKIRIes3tnTlQOt2mobBGyXNhoifC1rsVKIndCHq29QvNmmUnj5GImrP3KqS_l6lF4yzLqrk-LffojXgrAmUCcentZzIab/s400/Dr.+Jennifer+Miller.bmp" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><br />Dr. Jennifer Miller<br />Webpage at <a href="https://webspace.utexas.edu/jam5889/www/index.html">https://webspace.utexas.edu/jam5889/www/index.html</a> </p><br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270238254730612546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEquwyehcYggvdajst-7MkvrZWn2pXSgeuChZ5P9r1HOS_YTptvq4Np7ZAEEYLhD6LpjFwFm-VF5G-KZWs49jIjUaXw53p5Pb5-aZZyCtSj20GvGCSwK-h1-95O9XrC3Sp8V-BDF-RJhz/s400/Pic+of+Dr.+William+Doolittle.jpg" border="0" /><br />Dr. William Doolittle<br />Webpage at <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/courses/wd/">http://www.utexas.edu/courses/wd/</a></p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270238255973591650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7eRv8wek508_AOZ2n9pt2ntjmCG9DZXDc-YKBFoio9As8v6e3wOSYcOywSb2KEcLkNhud3ESSh8S-m8xLIv64mldzWSjgkwiXVvrO1jHWWB_SUPe2w8TSs7GInZeNKmqdZkhiWr7NtR7/s400/Recent+Pic+of+Dr.+Karl+Butzer.jpg" border="0" /> Dr. Karl Butzer<br />Webpage at <a href="https://webspace.utexas.edu/butzerkw/www/">https://webspace.utexas.edu/butzerkw/www/</a> </p><p><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270238454620844290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 332px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgNt0ISGUhxPonNbYgnq0P8jehdO5Di9j5ZSsQwRk-Go4UgNTymedyg85LXFhJaAh5K1Ghj8ojZ1YtySlClDTMCKI4U20RzUeL06H2H9QFY0Jx9ak0HNYhRKL856fAJDcaZ00JO1nX6_8/s400/valdez_fred.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><br />Dr. Fred Valdez<br />Webpage: <a href="http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~marl/">http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~marl/</a> </p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-45122476643099604532008-11-01T20:43:00.003-05:002008-11-01T22:14:16.475-05:00The Tombs of Temple XVIII<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIthDmzXxPmLxDbYHGEthpWzZmFH4CtWUbC2zIs0regNe1m1UiSk1a2V7jtKB_nCAW-Qsx4F01-wAn4_94IFq6ijRzILemHar9m_dXnemRy4vpynFOCaL0eIMNbUgX7n_nkcRARdGe_vSn/s1600-h/Temple+18+Plan+View.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263881068365925922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIthDmzXxPmLxDbYHGEthpWzZmFH4CtWUbC2zIs0regNe1m1UiSk1a2V7jtKB_nCAW-Qsx4F01-wAn4_94IFq6ijRzILemHar9m_dXnemRy4vpynFOCaL0eIMNbUgX7n_nkcRARdGe_vSn/s400/Temple+18+Plan+View.JPG" border="0" /></a>Another archaeologist's name on Linda's map is "Sáenz" (first name César). He was one of several people who worked under Ruz. The building whose plan view that you see above was excavated and consolidated by Sáenz (Temple XVIII). He found 3 tombs in this building and they were rich with jade and carved shell.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo8rqR7Lyh9EoiNilxrnNt1aAa60WaUQNA1naHASpF8YEvuYJE_wHlJ-1A1lb5A_YPse_IrHR3u82o5PI3Cf2CuySpz3RuumMm65YWG6oWCbjsYAx6uuA6x3hqz__D9Zx-kY0WT1iPwCd/s1600-h/Bodega+IMG23030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263884292588333906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo8rqR7Lyh9EoiNilxrnNt1aAa60WaUQNA1naHASpF8YEvuYJE_wHlJ-1A1lb5A_YPse_IrHR3u82o5PI3Cf2CuySpz3RuumMm65YWG6oWCbjsYAx6uuA6x3hqz__D9Zx-kY0WT1iPwCd/s400/Bodega+IMG23030.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="center">A jade pendant was found in one of the tombs.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2IZyXPsbZtdpofEOnfXcvcbXAvbHvdKLeX5cNJo4rPDjlzLGrZpPzty8mi1sdTax8sbYCCzLMAg_Ky7uwGCLoUK1YAfhgz8wDdsoVBJqCIDR2DRoAev-VMLEkyayAoivP2uoH32w3P-f/s1600-h/Temple+18+jade+pieces.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263892569472818338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2IZyXPsbZtdpofEOnfXcvcbXAvbHvdKLeX5cNJo4rPDjlzLGrZpPzty8mi1sdTax8sbYCCzLMAg_Ky7uwGCLoUK1YAfhgz8wDdsoVBJqCIDR2DRoAev-VMLEkyayAoivP2uoH32w3P-f/s400/Temple+18+jade+pieces.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="center">This is a drawing showing some of its ritual deposits found in Tomb II. There were things such as bowls, jade beads and a bone carving with maya glyphs upon it.</p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-77016915986904821492008-10-28T23:01:00.006-05:002008-10-28T23:41:48.995-05:00Zavala and Group IV<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPfSC2NBTsuY887wA3V9lShOeUGvmxzDpLsFYWAT0WUNSy-lPkvSNC7HeIGrSq417VvaJt6nv5fHoZJ5lmqs1ATp3ek6CBQmqrSgw70QuP4Q52s8kKZ083x8RSKIOSJkzsVMBgRGEeKpG/s1600-h/Zavala+1950+Group+IV.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262431140782051858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPfSC2NBTsuY887wA3V9lShOeUGvmxzDpLsFYWAT0WUNSy-lPkvSNC7HeIGrSq417VvaJt6nv5fHoZJ5lmqs1ATp3ek6CBQmqrSgw70QuP4Q52s8kKZ083x8RSKIOSJkzsVMBgRGEeKpG/s400/Zavala+1950+Group+IV.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Zavala created a map of Group IV (displayed above) showing where the Tablet of the Slaves was found ("L" on the upper left-hand side of the map) as well as where a grave was uncovered that he called "tumba aislada". This tomb was uncovered while his crew was constructing the modern road leading into the site.</div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-46857299105710280432008-10-25T14:25:00.016-05:002008-10-28T23:46:02.650-05:00Transitions<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kIm-QhO03LMEyRdM8cY1uDSTKxYqLGnvOjRbJfOVbbqWuor3T9dJJXG6LMx6a675YBxBy6zIExxmSzfUGLMn8bdefM5wtbVwUw0Vv-IVV63Uy8ZSekH9UIn4ejU36hTp6VSczPxStglX/s1600-h/Linda+Excavation+Map+Total+Small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261175546796627970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kIm-QhO03LMEyRdM8cY1uDSTKxYqLGnvOjRbJfOVbbqWuor3T9dJJXG6LMx6a675YBxBy6zIExxmSzfUGLMn8bdefM5wtbVwUw0Vv-IVV63Uy8ZSekH9UIn4ejU36hTp6VSczPxStglX/s400/Linda+Excavation+Map+Total+Small.jpg" border="0" /></a> Today I begin the process of transitioning my blog away from one that addresses the conservation of Palenque, Mexico as an archaeological park, to a blog about Palenque GIS and the site's archaeological record. The map displayed above was annotated by Linda Schele upon a blueline print of a base map of the central precinct of Palenque.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI__QajH-XN2fQ6ztjJ15oraWz6DkKRXgGj9awph6A4nXTgW94P6vW9scfB927HoT3X3vFwTXaL7lgvOyAggSXTH-EI9qNo21zCKhVjVsUmqFDuHuwrgU4gcfBhaIFDpO6dJxh6gWB8S-k/s1600-h/Linda+%26+Oval+Tablet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261211887682139426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI__QajH-XN2fQ6ztjJ15oraWz6DkKRXgGj9awph6A4nXTgW94P6vW9scfB927HoT3X3vFwTXaL7lgvOyAggSXTH-EI9qNo21zCKhVjVsUmqFDuHuwrgU4gcfBhaIFDpO6dJxh6gWB8S-k/s400/Linda+%26+Oval+Tablet.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here is a picture of Linda next to the Palace Tablet found in House E.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><p>My guess is that she added the map notes in the late 70's and early 80's when she was helping Merle Green Robertson create a new map for the site. Although the Mexican authorities keep records that detail the operation and excavation # of each archaeological dig, this is the only map I have ever found that documents some of them. Those shown here are excavations that took place from 1951 to 1956 in the central precinct. I have digitally mapped this information, but this task is only a small piece of the data puzzle that I am putting together. In case you are curious about the names of the archaeologists on this map, I am going to tell you a little bit about each one of them over the next few entries.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijAyrG6RRlKIzCiTmB4-QcuOeXpD8szqLs959JdmK6_WlTVtaXJuWpTxME5WzvPOsERDmxWWZxyvapj4QJYyYdIEumuojq8mUtXrO9L3cFDp-yDG_NNiU5lUUEm1nuf0NEV0NBqg5002m/s1600-h/Tablet+of+the+Slaves+High.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261224667352573970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 323px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijAyrG6RRlKIzCiTmB4-QcuOeXpD8szqLs959JdmK6_WlTVtaXJuWpTxME5WzvPOsERDmxWWZxyvapj4QJYyYdIEumuojq8mUtXrO9L3cFDp-yDG_NNiU5lUUEm1nuf0NEV0NBqg5002m/s400/Tablet+of+the+Slaves+High.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p></p><p align="center">Tablet of the Slaves</p><p>The name "Zavala" is shown on the map as having excavated in the Palace area. He worked at Palenque under the well-known Mexican archaeologist, Alberto Ruz. His full name was Lauro Jose Zavala. Linda's map above doesn't display Group IV, where Zavala also excavated and found a well preserved carved monument called "Temple of the Slaves" (above drawing by Linda). His crew was building the modern road into Palenque and accidentally came across a set of residential buildings that we now call Group IV.</p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-67714938786485510872008-09-02T13:53:00.007-05:002008-09-02T22:48:58.753-05:00Fuzzy Boundaries<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkt7Bpwlun2jIjzhqE9pYitT2gmpOpGmWbQId4sAIUisOX1XtFYoVX6VK0CuWCA4Wz-Cx2pbpJgW5X44bbC0-A8FS2vJmUOepzoymwcjPyH6UtYGQPaY4iDtvW1zr0g3EKIas3GrIJisAm/s1600-h/First+entrance+gate+and+building2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241505518839697058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkt7Bpwlun2jIjzhqE9pYitT2gmpOpGmWbQId4sAIUisOX1XtFYoVX6VK0CuWCA4Wz-Cx2pbpJgW5X44bbC0-A8FS2vJmUOepzoymwcjPyH6UtYGQPaY4iDtvW1zr0g3EKIas3GrIJisAm/s400/First+entrance+gate+and+building2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Soon after you arrive at the main entrance gate to Palenque - the one where they take your 20 pesos and ask you what country you are from - you realize that there are other landowners that encroach into the park boundaries. All the painted signs along the road going up into the site are a dead give-away. The boundary for the park was established several years ago, but there are still people who own land within it. I have been told that the government would like to purchase these properties to better protect the site and its archaeology, but they haven't come up with the funds to do this yet.<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkylUd8gaSNDxXA3PLQ1C6-KHLBJKlT1HJQh9LUIMQZ59plBhq27Phb2drY_4kOLS2fg3ElVVhrwxy4lCxpdsv_jPdv-Kw9Lu1QdlbOXMvmCgtC6fffRgCsQykN1tywA6bKIEGjq3VYfkN/s1600-h/sign+for+panchan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241500436801179922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkylUd8gaSNDxXA3PLQ1C6-KHLBJKlT1HJQh9LUIMQZ59plBhq27Phb2drY_4kOLS2fg3ElVVhrwxy4lCxpdsv_jPdv-Kw9Lu1QdlbOXMvmCgtC6fffRgCsQykN1tywA6bKIEGjq3VYfkN/s400/sign+for+panchan.jpg" border="0" /></a> The first sign you see right at that front gate is the all popular lodging, eating, drinking and music establishment of El Panchan, along with various other businesses. Panchan has some of the best food I have ever eaten and they employ outstanding chefs.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHPG7O2x-JQKziair75GPcVf2lSsIFcV_8K8NWjtTq7v6RAwh4_UC4HJOlXmHF3gXkMFUL6x0XQqhEgYUJpSQwmjVN65gWLCh4ePTV0g4XsXqP2Ya4aEU55CIqOaHkTzsMvfkAUdvbJ_x/s1600-h/bungulos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241508692777390530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHPG7O2x-JQKziair75GPcVf2lSsIFcV_8K8NWjtTq7v6RAwh4_UC4HJOlXmHF3gXkMFUL6x0XQqhEgYUJpSQwmjVN65gWLCh4ePTV0g4XsXqP2Ya4aEU55CIqOaHkTzsMvfkAUdvbJ_x/s400/bungulos.jpg" border="0" /></a> The next establishment along the road doesn't seem to have a name, but has a sign advertising bungalows.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrP89X475la0T9rV1BJmfIA_DPP_j5ys-lYEHkpJcrBeCw1ehhA_I3UpE5SAz0nxEVH7pjLXzj1ZI03oL20eRezFJT02ai4SySqYnD2U5X9TwRRn0nAtI4VT9LlqVhCHnuTvkKVMsGSKml/s1600-h/youth+hostel2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241500433814234866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrP89X475la0T9rV1BJmfIA_DPP_j5ys-lYEHkpJcrBeCw1ehhA_I3UpE5SAz0nxEVH7pjLXzj1ZI03oL20eRezFJT02ai4SySqYnD2U5X9TwRRn0nAtI4VT9LlqVhCHnuTvkKVMsGSKml/s400/youth+hostel2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Then there is a youth hostel...</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XdpBSz6SrQRbBIrSdgTQprPXGEFDHsNq-9eQBdHnUhAYNQep7_GNEccB74igZEsflJQLGg31l5_mwlfykg1Bdn2VIKRcvNguQJyHRKWOU4aa0nt7r3IvCx3eUucQldRSjYdWSHGbJJC4/s1600-h/Lapalapa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241500441959164082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XdpBSz6SrQRbBIrSdgTQprPXGEFDHsNq-9eQBdHnUhAYNQep7_GNEccB74igZEsflJQLGg31l5_mwlfykg1Bdn2VIKRcvNguQJyHRKWOU4aa0nt7r3IvCx3eUucQldRSjYdWSHGbJJC4/s400/Lapalapa.jpg" border="0" /></a> A place called La Palapa...</p><p align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixK8MajEEdxoiwVAnjrqgcXoVjYDmXSsBA4OwXK06oFy61aRt3R3FLvvkwDgJVnYLsNt0rAHbn9FCFFSo5t96gpAH-HQRJpmfk7a1LYEDOyWOFfkMHpyBM9zCJ4jfwUEV9rJWcaYJwFzXe/s1600-h/Michol+camping2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241502451965284290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixK8MajEEdxoiwVAnjrqgcXoVjYDmXSsBA4OwXK06oFy61aRt3R3FLvvkwDgJVnYLsNt0rAHbn9FCFFSo5t96gpAH-HQRJpmfk7a1LYEDOyWOFfkMHpyBM9zCJ4jfwUEV9rJWcaYJwFzXe/s400/Michol+camping2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Next comes Michol Palapa - The word "Michol" is also the name of the nearby river.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDk5x-ivtLBCmYUeMgOSHlM_sdcE9Kys7Ceut6HMyuNvJM8aSTRnuijBdSgpludcKggHhUQDmMUtVoEJXDQSV0gqntUrydjDzl6H5SGQy5ZtqQL3YFusGs7_M8YyvDcZqxfi2k0yEKur-/s1600-h/kichanes+cabanas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241500429144225346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDk5x-ivtLBCmYUeMgOSHlM_sdcE9Kys7Ceut6HMyuNvJM8aSTRnuijBdSgpludcKggHhUQDmMUtVoEJXDQSV0gqntUrydjDzl6H5SGQy5ZtqQL3YFusGs7_M8YyvDcZqxfi2k0yEKur-/s400/kichanes+cabanas.jpg" border="0" /></a> Kichanes cabanas and camping<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2iaWAuObPIpU2w9UXB40opIjr17OMsELh00slUEINpbgWhpTDMxojswXke0thvWUkm9XI3JLgdBK6XbANVjiiJsnsong9x07NOR7h0QaHd5BjlLQna-m1kE_NSktuzjBviLy8f348kti/s1600-h/First+entrance+gate+and+building.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijINUiGbvL5MHqLYrhulMCsrtTN6KJtVk6bBRxGRiKuOwmS18DEinOxLPxQA10jQFMcuvEI7ggne4DdqfS-enH6Kx8-if3Mg7ejZLB7N72AQdAGb4Lliwb33LxkJO6HBgYUwdK7LoT-zrA/s1600-h/mayabelle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241502442099307810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijINUiGbvL5MHqLYrhulMCsrtTN6KJtVk6bBRxGRiKuOwmS18DEinOxLPxQA10jQFMcuvEI7ggne4DdqfS-enH6Kx8-if3Mg7ejZLB7N72AQdAGb4Lliwb33LxkJO6HBgYUwdK7LoT-zrA/s400/mayabelle.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last, but not least is the Mayabelle. Ed Barnhart and his crew actually mapped part of this property, since the land contains ancient structures.</p>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-1825295590971326192008-08-26T23:52:00.003-05:002008-08-28T08:09:33.346-05:00After 5 Thousand Years<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhatVp71KfEszitC6lQsfx9YAsuX4IMCZ2_PO4wCQQViiU0MTgTeukhfOK6ZthRBtHRjtkMPXor845g919iVU-zfmK2_0x3jVBPNUsggknfpd4rO9AkV73xU2O_xJnD6J6jYAr5qCl_9t/s1600-h/Natiional+Geo+Cover0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239057051339623746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhatVp71KfEszitC6lQsfx9YAsuX4IMCZ2_PO4wCQQViiU0MTgTeukhfOK6ZthRBtHRjtkMPXor845g919iVU-zfmK2_0x3jVBPNUsggknfpd4rO9AkV73xU2O_xJnD6J6jYAr5qCl_9t/s400/Natiional+Geo+Cover0001.JPG" border="0" /></a> I recently received a new National Geographic magazine collector's item publication in the mail.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8N_kqg23H7z-tqm6x9RnQgKRmLBLzgHHCljOWvqycIiUFM1UcOJH30h-9qSq22KPbdqacH8likI4tAgNuFU4EfntSBWmWG387dxkYCS9_P8RJx_3EDv4FNbw4qtUvapFOFcEJV3KmrUB9/s1600-h/Chiapas+Ad0005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239057052741901570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8N_kqg23H7z-tqm6x9RnQgKRmLBLzgHHCljOWvqycIiUFM1UcOJH30h-9qSq22KPbdqacH8likI4tAgNuFU4EfntSBWmWG387dxkYCS9_P8RJx_3EDv4FNbw4qtUvapFOFcEJV3KmrUB9/s400/Chiapas+Ad0005.jpg" border="0" /></a> As I was flipping through the softbound book, I noticed the messages contained on the inside of the front cover.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-eNpaS7E-UgLci9k_e_XzMBjtyusFjnY31o1amyjbvBxCyr9-YaCSCW4P6ye61VDJRq82agkqkjJkeKXxIl0WppkPenFg7uiPdyNWlAaSBIVgHcMRQOeW5KmrEfRgaAAjOZqMRVotRiP/s1600-h/Chiapas+Ad0003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239057059428872898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-eNpaS7E-UgLci9k_e_XzMBjtyusFjnY31o1amyjbvBxCyr9-YaCSCW4P6ye61VDJRq82agkqkjJkeKXxIl0WppkPenFg7uiPdyNWlAaSBIVgHcMRQOeW5KmrEfRgaAAjOZqMRVotRiP/s400/Chiapas+Ad0003.JPG" border="0" /></a> And then I noticed the inside of the back cover. Delfino Lopez Hidalgo, one of the administrators at the Palenque site from the INAH (the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) told me that the governor of Chiapas, as well a the National Secretary of Tourism had spent large amounts of money in tourism advertising in order to promote the state of Chiapas. Visit <a href="http://www.sectorturismo.gob.mx/wb/sectur/sect_buscador?q=chiapas">http://www.sectorturismo.gob.mx/wb/sectur/sect_buscador?q=chiapas</a></div><div align="center"> to see some of their information. Since visitation is up this year it seems to be working.</div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-48570596113874886692008-08-23T22:41:00.005-05:002008-08-28T08:10:07.890-05:00Excusado del Palacio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIpIFwqHWvTv14Ejo9bxc6OYvQN9TIFN8On8nk9Ff7bl5_L8-GmFk0DmPO9vrQ84N7u2St22jqoYOYwZOkl2RKA3VF1xt325WdPz4RZRrTnou2QvFdffC-vD4AuTxdd7jqXvqa5vc-fcF/s1600-h/Escusado+del+Palacio.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237924688611639970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIpIFwqHWvTv14Ejo9bxc6OYvQN9TIFN8On8nk9Ff7bl5_L8-GmFk0DmPO9vrQ84N7u2St22jqoYOYwZOkl2RKA3VF1xt325WdPz4RZRrTnou2QvFdffC-vD4AuTxdd7jqXvqa5vc-fcF/s400/Escusado+del+Palacio.JPG" border="0" /></a>You may recall a discussion in a previous posting about the possible existence of bathrooms in the Palace. This evening, while looking through many of our old books and enformes about Palenque, I came across the above diagram that was drawn under the direction of Mexican archaeologist, Miguel Angel Fernandez. He excavated at Palenque in the 1940's. The diagram illustrates part of the Palace tower court and clearly shows "la posición" that a man would be able take in order to relieve himself in "el hombre's estación". It even shows the physics of how it might operate. I guess we will have to continue to use our imagination regarding how the women's excusado works. I now have a new-found confidence in our Palenque tour guides because the information that they are giving their audiances comes from a pretty good source!<br /><div></div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469521247640149579.post-89829626017393505132008-08-20T10:27:00.032-05:002008-08-23T22:41:19.899-05:00We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CdOtrIZlceadq37PUpeWH7orwsFHKMO147YghKaYharyXlpmQKEgngnW5n2mgpos6l2ykgn1uAAX88tsBvokMgrMKrbfNS-5IZtColx2HIYIZYDhJ9vJuHuBAwl_-UTGs8Pm5C2vrokN/s1600-h/Elaine+Palace3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237070029518401842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CdOtrIZlceadq37PUpeWH7orwsFHKMO147YghKaYharyXlpmQKEgngnW5n2mgpos6l2ykgn1uAAX88tsBvokMgrMKrbfNS-5IZtColx2HIYIZYDhJ9vJuHuBAwl_-UTGs8Pm5C2vrokN/s400/Elaine+Palace3.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>I have been pondering what might be some of the causes for the increasing use of these large tour buses that are bringing more people into the site. I think that there are at least two reasons -- one of which is the ease of being able to book these tours over the Internet.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_eYdM9ycK6XEy8Betk1nRQes8sCpQE2vvWp3wmsRE4sNjxK6myMlVb7nFohX-6_SunkYwbbpvnmmLXP4Joftnl3vPVbQrjB_4LN7b7OS59Ky7gOFhEwrJlUdTdrI-INt-vSqHaZBRnuE/s1600-h/carlossalinas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237073613665757058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_eYdM9ycK6XEy8Betk1nRQes8sCpQE2vvWp3wmsRE4sNjxK6myMlVb7nFohX-6_SunkYwbbpvnmmLXP4Joftnl3vPVbQrjB_4LN7b7OS59Ky7gOFhEwrJlUdTdrI-INt-vSqHaZBRnuE/s400/carlossalinas.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The other reason is due the efforts of this man. Back in the 1990's Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari wanted to improve the road system, so he turned to private investors to construct and maintain sections of the highway system. In a nutshell, according to reports, he dramatically improved Mexico's tourism infrastructure. I am not implying that there is a toll road that leads to Palenque, but these buses come from all parts of Mexico, so the toll roads link the buses to the smaller roads in the transportation network that lead to Palenque.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6oU5CDgslnqNFi5U1UqgPh8j2tL-7kxDWMdiUEdftksutOQZKQ-AcvACD9Yn6mzmCNPRFoxBFWzmxGOWWlDyJI8Iyl4TvAjTctk93dsNTqEmrEKiv20xFMRrmowUxqe7X1HtmLUUhrvL/s1600-h/Caseta_San_Marcos_%2528Mexico-Puebla%2529.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237073880025561314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6oU5CDgslnqNFi5U1UqgPh8j2tL-7kxDWMdiUEdftksutOQZKQ-AcvACD9Yn6mzmCNPRFoxBFWzmxGOWWlDyJI8Iyl4TvAjTctk93dsNTqEmrEKiv20xFMRrmowUxqe7X1HtmLUUhrvL/s400/Caseta_San_Marcos_%2528Mexico-Puebla%2529.jpg" border="0" /></a>There is a lot of information about Mexican toll roads and their toll charges at the "Mexexperience" website found here: <a href="http://www.mexperience.com/guide/essentials/toll_road_charges.htm">http://www.mexperience.com/guide/essentials/toll_road_charges.htm</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmqHs_vA9mVyEttC971LfCG5Vmaolk4PeJUIGJExEQ6g_09QDYhq48AN7Ht3NUX4SJbV_dQHj_VLJX-ucg-kLlZBznkOOXa48oJKDQvBHiOFxxVVhpOhfHFPNqcfewslC-pkj_io8c9RU/s1600-h/2006+Existing+Roads+Diapositiva32.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237074222879758258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmqHs_vA9mVyEttC971LfCG5Vmaolk4PeJUIGJExEQ6g_09QDYhq48AN7Ht3NUX4SJbV_dQHj_VLJX-ucg-kLlZBznkOOXa48oJKDQvBHiOFxxVVhpOhfHFPNqcfewslC-pkj_io8c9RU/s400/2006+Existing+Roads+Diapositiva32.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>Another great resource for information about Mexican roads and their future is the Presidente Felipe Calderón Hinojosa's road infrastructure page. Above is a map that he posted of the existing road network.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8fBO62971ltAlYTzOHxlZjgXN9ZUghNOdw0r0vAYcI7sURrlGqyZI8sVMhXtNv612g0Xk9uVAz0YlEXWGDi3-Hhqjlu6avKxflbLGmtRIEk77iaan1eptZiqfrwpAiVCzdOAZAzeuIG5/s1600-h/2012+Roads.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237074522395162050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8fBO62971ltAlYTzOHxlZjgXN9ZUghNOdw0r0vAYcI7sURrlGqyZI8sVMhXtNv612g0Xk9uVAz0YlEXWGDi3-Hhqjlu6avKxflbLGmtRIEk77iaan1eptZiqfrwpAiVCzdOAZAzeuIG5/s400/2012+Roads.jpg" border="0" /></a>And here is a map of the road network that the president would like to see by 2012. Interesting that he uses this date, which is coincidently the end of the Maya bak'tun cycle in the ancient calendar. Citings of this date are becoming a familiar refrain by so many people all over the world. </div>Elaine Day Schelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468381211544810859noreply@blogger.com0