Exploring Lakamha'

The Pursuasive Powers of Rosa Covarrubias

2010-09-04T20:23:00.013-05:00

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.

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.

Dear Nelson:
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.

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.

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.

K'inich Janaab' Pakal’s False Pearls

2010-05-12T16:14:00.003-05:00

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.

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) 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.

Hombre Verdadero - Halach Huinic

2010-03-03T08:17:00.009-06:00

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.

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.

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.

The Bones of K'inich Janaab' Pakal

2010-01-28T09:07:00.009-06:00

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.

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:

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 school children were alerted for a strike and a peaceful march to the runias to protest. The Indians were notified and the townspeople were notified by use of a sound truck.

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 have gone back-- the photographers. There is a committee 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 Villahermosa had headlines—

“INAH STEALS BONES OF PRINCE” In the article, they said some "snobs and *~a* traitors call the Prince Pacal" and international stupids say he is an astronaut.

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.

Alberto Ruz, Palenque and Nelson Rockefeller

2009-11-27T10:00:00.011-06:00

In at least two of the INAH Anales 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 Life magazine when Life did a story on the Museum of Primitive Art.

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.

Nelson Rockefeller and Mary Todhunter Clark Rockefeller

The Greater Cross Group at Palenque

2009-09-26T12:28:00.004-05:00

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.

A Questionnaire for Archaeologists - The Use of Digital Technologies During Excavation

2009-09-05T19:33:00.005-05:00

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.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=m4ooKtjqAhF6US5H1AcAfA_3d_3d

Palenque's Greatest Story Teller

2009-08-16T21:13:00.010-05:00

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 “that very special man who had shared the magic of Palenque with thousands of pilgrims over the years. Moises took the Scheles and their party for a walk deep into the jungle. 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.

The picture above was taken just after David and I finished having lunch at El Panchan http://elpanchan.com/alojamiento_eng.htm. 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.

La Mujer Bionica

2009-08-05T06:54:00.009-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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: http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/current_dig.html.

Falling for Felines

2009-07-19T09:47:00.017-05:00

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.

Mommy kitty had given birth in an outside corner of the house. 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. This is a top view of the corner.

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). Somehow, as I was doing this, I lost track of where the edge of the roof was located. 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.

I then stepped on a portion of the sheet metal that was not stable and went tumbling down.

The distance I fell measures about 4 or 5 meters.

This is where I landed.

This picture of my wounded self was taken July 15th - 5 days after the accident. One wrist has pins in it and the other is in a cast. 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.

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?

SAA Slides, GIScience and Temple of the Cross

2009-04-28T09:52:00.039-05:00

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.

Here is the slide presentation that I created for the 2009 Society of American Archaeologists Conference in Atlanta:

Here is the new link to the Palenque Flyover:

Cache Configuration - Temple of Cross

2009-04-17T08:58:00.008-05:00

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 archaeologist that discovered them. I have superimposed a drawing of the "principal bird deity" (Titiana Proskouriakoff''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.

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 K'inich Kan B'ahlam dressed in the guise of an ancient ancestor (Stuart 2006).

Clarification on the Term "Incensario"

2009-03-31T08:28:00.015-05:00

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.

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".

Bird's Eye View from El Mirador Hill

2009-03-29T08:52:00.005-05:00

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?

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.

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.

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.

What a Mess

2009-03-14T20:48:00.005-05:00

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.

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.

Caches of the Temple of the Cross

2008-12-18T12:43:00.003-06:00

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.

Temple of the Cross

Temple of the Sun

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.

Photo Credit: Archaeologia Mexicana and Marco Antonio Pacheco/Raices

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).

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".

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.

Out of Context

2008-11-22T08:48:00.006-06:00

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.

Above is a photo of an object found in Justin Kerr's online database (at http://www.famsi.org/research/kerr/) 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.

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 the much earlier Olmec time period, a civilization that flourished in territories to the north and southwest of Palenque. Scholars who study the ancient Olmec 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.

Soaking Up Knowledge

2008-11-18T23:31:00.005-06:00

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.

Dr. David Stuart
Webpage @: http://www.finearts.utexas.edu/aah/art_history/faculty/stuart.cfm
Thanks to Jody Horton for use of the photo. Find her webpage at http://www.jodyhorton.com/site.html

Dr. Brian Stross

Webpage at http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~strossb/

Dr. Jennifer Miller
Webpage at https://webspace.utexas.edu/jam5889/www/index.html

Dr. William Doolittle
Webpage at http://www.utexas.edu/courses/wd/

Dr. Karl Butzer
Webpage at https://webspace.utexas.edu/butzerkw/www/

Dr. Fred Valdez
Webpage: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~marl/

The Tombs of Temple XVIII

2008-11-01T20:43:00.003-05:00

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.

A jade pendant was found in one of the tombs.

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.

Zavala and Group IV

2008-10-28T23:01:00.006-05:00

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.

Transitions

2008-10-25T14:25:00.016-05:00

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.
Here is a picture of Linda next to the Palace Tablet found in House E.

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.

Tablet of the Slaves

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.

Fuzzy Boundaries

2008-09-02T13:53:00.007-05:00

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.

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.

The next establishment along the road doesn't seem to have a name, but has a sign advertising bungalows.

Then there is a youth hostel...

A place called La Palapa...

Next comes Michol Palapa - The word "Michol" is also the name of the nearby river.

Kichanes cabanas and camping

Last, but not least is the Mayabelle. Ed Barnhart and his crew actually mapped part of this property, since the land contains ancient structures.

After 5 Thousand Years

2008-08-26T23:52:00.003-05:00

I recently received a new National Geographic magazine collector's item publication in the mail.
As I was flipping through the softbound book, I noticed the messages contained on the inside of the front cover.
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 http://www.sectorturismo.gob.mx/wb/sectur/sect_buscador?q=chiapas

to see some of their information. Since visitation is up this year it seems to be working.

Excusado del Palacio

2008-08-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

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!

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

2008-08-20T10:27:00.032-05:00

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.

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.

There is a lot of information about Mexican toll roads and their toll charges at the "Mexexperience" website found here: http://www.mexperience.com/guide/essentials/toll_road_charges.htm

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.

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.

Autobuses de Turismo

2008-08-16T22:04:00.012-05:00

One of the most amazing things that I observed at the site are the number and variety of large tour buses, the majority of which are road worthy, air conditioned and comfortable. They usually seat about 40 to 50 people.
Here is another one that is trying to turn around in the tight parking area that is also used by the vendors, the guides, the tourists as well as other buses.
I love the ones that have the bright colors and that look like they have bug antlers. Those appendages are actually their rear view mirrors. These two buses are trying to squeeze by on the narrow two lane road that leads into the park.
Here I am sitting by the roadway counting each kind of vehicle that comes into the park (bus, car, taxi, etc.). I was a transportation planner in a previous life, so I felt very comfortable taking one hour traffic counts by mode. I did this on various days at various times throughout one week and estimated that there are an average of 4 large tour buses that come into the park every hour - during the SUMMER SEASON. If you multiply that out, it comes to an average of 50 buses each day during vacation season. Un-averaged counts would reflect that, there are more of these buses on Sundays, since Mexican nationals do not pay a park fee on Sundays and there are less buses on some of the weekdays.
There has been a increasing trend in the use of these large coaches over the years that local people have noticed. Their use impacts the local economy, sometimes in a negative way. The tour operator, knowing that he/she has promised the group that they would visit several cities and several sites in X number of days, funnels the people into a local hotel for one day and then the next, takes them up to Lakamha' (Palenque) for a few hours, puts them back into the bus and then they are on their way to the next location, without even seeing or spending their money in the little pueblo of Palenque.I placed the "tourist circuit" on a map to help you see how the people are taken by bus to the park entrance at the top of the hill and then they are lead (or self lead) through the circuit which is a distance of 1.2 miles or 1.9 kilometers downhill. They are given a set amount of time to make it through the site - to be back at the bus that is waiting either at the museum parking lot or the informal lot where it is being washed. Then they put them back into the bus and they are off again to the next destination.
And yes, some make it through the site faster than others and are happy to be able to relax after such a stimulating and very sweaty walk.

Tiendas de Portátiles

2008-08-15T10:20:00.005-05:00

I created this map to show locations where the vendors are usually found at the site. I estimate that they use approximately 9,153 sq. meters of space in total.

With the exception of those vendors who are lucky enough to have a real booth with a roof, each person must have enough ground area to spread their goods out for display.

How's this display for an eye catching color burst?

The waterproof blue cloths that you see below the merchandise serves several purposes. They help the vendor lay out his/her territory, they offer protection for the goods as they lay on the ground, they give a nice contrast so that the goods show up well as the tourists pass and most important of all, they are used to bundle up the pretties and carry them back home.

The majority of these people do not live in the Modern City of Palenque. Most of them (and the guides also) come from a small indigenous community called El Naranjo, two miles away. I created this map to show you where this pueblo is located (sorry for the poor resolution, but my digital elevation model is the problem). There is no road to drive to the site from El Naranjo, so each day these hard working people carry their bundled good on their backs for two miles to get to their designated spot.

Here are a few of the men taking a much needed break in the shade.

Selling the Maya Mystique

2008-08-12T23:19:00.008-05:00

Chances are good that many of the local people who used to work at the site wielding machates and cutting grass are now site vendors. On Friday, July 25th, I counted 79 vendors spread out on the ground at various locations within the site and this was not an unusual day.

This year, I would estimate that one third of the items being sold are painted cowhide leather works. This vendor has found an opportunity to use an ancient altar next to the palace to lay out his leather ware reproduction of Pakal the Great's sarcophagus lid and explain it in detail. Perhaps if the ancient Maya had cows back in those days, they might have gone through this same routine.

I will not speculate about the source or production of some of these modern leather "paintings" -- whether they are hand or machine made, but I know that all the works from this vendor were carved by him. I watched him expertly work several pieces from limestone.

One of the things that I find interesting is the variety of reactions by the tourists to the vendor's sales pitches. Here is a German couple heavily engaged in a transaction with a proactive and persistent Mexican vendor.
Other approaches at bargaining are more amenable. This man, being very sensitive and observant, kindly questions the indigenous Maya woman about her products and the sale goes down quite easily.

God Bless the Grass

2008-08-10T22:42:00.007-05:00

This picture is one from Tikal. One year ago, when I visited Palenque, I witnessed a crew of men with machetes like these, descend upon the terraces of the ballcourt and make quick work of "manicuring" the lawn (thanks again to Flickr for this photo).
However, this time I saw men with lawnmowers!!!
Although, not power driven...
As well as a man with a weedeater. Although more efficient, I wonder how many people lost their jobs due to these "upgrades".
From this map, you can see the generalized areas of garden and lawn maintenance for the park. I used the GIS to figure out the area measurements. There are approximately 2,450 sq. meters (8,038 sq.feet) of gardens to maintain and 85,878 sq. meters (281,751 sq. feet) of lawn and terraces to mow.
Not only do they mow the grass, but they rack and sweep the leaves off the tourist walkways. The leaf blower has not yet made its way this far south.

My Don Juan Mountain ESRI Presentation

2008-08-07T07:16:00.010-05:00

To see a larger version of this presentation go to: http://tinyurl.com/6j4qno

Scottish Lassie Roommates

2008-08-06T00:48:00.003-05:00

Here are the two young ladies that share my room at the hostel.

Sharpening the GIS Saw

2008-08-05T22:25:00.006-05:00

This year, for the first time, I am attending the International GIS conference in San Diego put on by ESRI (Environmental Science Resources Institute). I haven't seen so many geography geeks under one roof in my life! There are so many of us that we take up the entire San Diego Conference Center.I am here to hone my GIS skills, to present information about my Don Juan project (the mountain right behind Palenque), to learn from other people doing archaeology GIS, and to learn the new GIS tools that ESRI has been developing for their products this year.

In addition, I decided to be daring and stay at an International Youth Hostel to save money. Here is a picture of the establishment.

Here is a shot of the front desk.
But when I asked them about the bathrooms and showers, they told me that "yes, they are unisex". So I am thinking -- how does that work? Do I keep my privacy behind the walls of the shower? I know that the lady behind the desk was very amused at my question. I am, afterall, the oldest person in the joint.

No Resolving the Dissolving

2008-08-02T17:18:00.014-05:00

As I have written before, the majority of the ancient building material at Lakamha’ is limestone, since that was the material available to the people. Here is a Map of Don Juan Mountain that I created from a digital elevation model sent to me by Karen Bassie-Sweet. Palenque sits at the base of Don Juan Mountain whose makeup is limestone, as are the mountains of the Chiapas highlands, south of Don Juan.

This picture displays the hieroglyphic stairs of Court E of the palace. They are slowly dissolving, especially those facing upward. There are also glyphs on these stairs that you can see only from the front view. All rainwater is slightly acidic. When it falls on limestone as carbonic acid (solution mixture of the air and water) it slowly dissolves the rock. This process eventually forms cracks in the limestone rocks that become underground caves and water systems.
Cenotes are part of this system. Thanks to Flickr for this picture of a cenote at Ik Kil. Within the caves (defined as places that are large enough for humans to pass), stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this solution mixture. These formations are dripstone, a type of travertine. For more about types of limestone see: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/geophys/limestone.html

So this means that when it rains on the buildings, they also begin to dissolve - like what is happening outside and inside the Palace. Here is a picture of a dripstone or a stalagmite that has formed inside one of the "T" windows. Perhaps these limestone buildings are even more vulnerable when they are reconstructed by archaeologists from unrecognizable dirt mounds into buildings.

In addition, the structures are also affected by rain runoff that flows around the buildings such as what happens in the Murcielagos group, but the ancient people who managed this group of buildings came up with an interesting way to deal with that water. They created a series of drains and pools to slow it down, perhaps.

We have plenty of buildings in the US made of limestone. For instance, most of the original courthouses of Texas are made of limestone. So why haven’t they also dissolved? It’s because these are only a couple of hundred years old. After 1,300 years, they too will experience dissolution, just like those at Palenque.

Presently, a method to protect the buildings has not been developed yet. The best that can be done is to build structures on top in order to shield from rain.

Rolling with the flow

2008-07-30T22:24:00.005-05:00

I fly back to Austin tomorrow, but I will continue to post my work about Palenque to this blog. The research that Anabella and I are doing this summer is not just about tourism, but about the general long term sustainability of the site. Quite a broad subject, you’re thinking? Yes, but we are hoping to at least present some useful suggestions and conclusions that will include other things beside tourism -- for instance, the problem of the destruction of ancient buildings by rain water (to be addressed in the next blog). According to Rudy Larios (2005) water is a “number one enemy” of these ancient limestone structures (see http://www.famsi.org/reports/99026/section16.htm for his report called “Architectural Restoration Criteria in the Maya Area”). But now, lets talk about water drainage across the landscape. Ed Barnhart and his survey crew were able to map creeks and streams of the site and you can see them on this map. In addition, they also mapped the springs. Rest assured that a location with over 50 natural springs and sitting in the path of the warm trade winds, has serious water management issues. For the time being, I am classifying the drainage facilities into four categories with two sub classes each, but there is only room here to show you a few examples.
One type is that of the closed drain, both ancient and modern. Here is a picture of a closed modern drain that was created in conjunction with the walkway. I don’t know how they are able to clean it out, since it is L-shaped.
Here is a map of an ancient aqueduct. As you can see from the blue color of the water, it is both open and closed.
Another type drain is the modern open drain. The red displays the path of this modern structure.
When the drains don't work properly, they deteriorate the walkways and can even wash away concrete if the velocity down this hill is strong enough. In the next time I want to show you some pictures of what is happening to the ancient structures when it rains and what a difficult job it is to prevent the limestone building material from melting away. Thus they will become- one day in the future - only memories of what once was fabulous architecture.

Let's Go to the Palace!

2008-07-29T21:00:00.006-05:00

I just realized that I haven't posted a shot of the Palace building - the place where the Tower Court and House E are located - the subject of my last posting. These two young ladies certainly look all spruced up and ready for a royal visit. It may look like I set up this shot, but I swear that I do not know these women.

Here is a top view of the Tower Court and House E. You can see where the tourists have created a path.

There are times when the court is packed with people (yes, looking at the toilets again).

Modern palace rituals – La posición para los sanitarios

2008-07-28T21:56:00.015-05:00

If you visit the Palenque Palace, chances are good that you will pass through the Tower Court. House E, the building to the east of the court is believed to have been the royal quarters of Pakal the Great. Here is Linda Schele's drawing of the Oval Tablet inside House E.
Since one of my goals is to assess the impact of the tourist traffic on the palace building, the first thing I have do is to figure out a way to estimate how many tourists actually climb up to visit it. There are several access stairs that lead to it, so if I were to count everyone that uses the stairs, I would have to be in 3 places at once. Instead, I am using House E visitation as “proxy” count. This means that I will use these numbers to extrapolate how many are climbing the Palace structure.

Did you know that the Palace may have had toilets? From my vantage point on the stairs, I have noticed that most of the people who visit the court have a guide with them and the guide always, without fail, brings them over to the two holes in the floor on either side of the west stairs. What are these holes? There is archaeological evidence that they might have been toilets. The guides love to give their demonstrations to show how these devices might work and then they squat into “la posición”, encouraging the visitors to do the same. Above you see a series of “las posiciónes” over the men's "toilet".
La mujeres posición para el sanitarios

And others just gaze down into the hole, expecting to see -- I don't know what.

No Bañarse

2008-07-28T16:23:00.005-05:00

Over the last few days, I have noticed that at least 6 old signs along the Otolum have been replaced with new ones. The old ones were usually faded, had metal screws on their faces or the lettering was faded. Metal rusts easily in this humid environment, but the new ones have plastic faces framed and supported by wood that seem to be coated with waterproof material. Here are pictures of the old and then the new. Looks pretty good, but it means that my sign inventory is already out of date!

I have a confession to make.

2008-07-27T21:23:00.008-05:00

In a past blog, I lead you to believe that Lakamha belonged to the people Mexico as well as to the people of the world, but I neglected to tell you about Palenque's biggest landlord/lady of them all -- that of the jungle. She thinks that the site should be hers and that it should be turned back into the organic matter from which it came. Witness this amazing algae growth behind me in one of the "houses" of the Palace.
And see these awesome tree roots that break buildings apart as if to step on them with their giant feet.

And its not just the ancient stuff that she wants to break down -- the new concrete infrastructure also takes a beating.

Here workmen are water blasting the Temple of the Inscriptions to clean off the algae that has grown on its consolidated limestone walls. Its a problem that ancient Maya royalty must have also struggled over - how to keep the forest habitat from eroding their grand buildings.

This is a photo that Alfred Maudslay took in the late 1800's of the palace tower. After Palenque's decline which seems to have begun around AD 800, the forest took it back again. Maudslay and his crew had to try to figure out what part of the structure was stone and what part was forest.

Trippin' up the hill to Lakamha

2008-07-26T21:32:00.010-05:00

There are several alternative travel modes available to get to the Palenque site. My preferred way is the "combi" which costs only 10 pesos. But how are other people finding their way there? It is less than 10 miles from the modern city also named Palenque. When one begins the trip up into the site, its an uphill struggle by foot, so many people want motorized transportation to there. Lots of Mexican families are on vacation now and they tend to bring their cars, although many are arriving in tour package buses.
To determine the modes that people are using to get Lakamha, I have begun an effort to sample trip modes (what kind of vehicle are people using). It will come as no surprise to know that so far (and my sampling is not yet complete) I have found that 58 percent of all the vehicles that enter the site parking lot are private vehicles. But this is a third world country, right (is this still true of Mexico?) I don't know much about Mexico's economy, but I do know that they love their cars! This does not mean that more PEOPLE come into the site by private car, on the contrary, most people are coming in on the large luxury buses like this one.
What this large percent of private vehicles means is there are not enough parking spaces in the small lot up the hill next to the site, so people are parking on the road "shoulders". This road is the only one into the site.
In reality, the road has no shoulders. When it was built several years ago, at least one ancient grave was disturbed and the new road was carved into several of the ancient buildings. Widening it now is unthinkable, so other traffic management tools must be found -- it is an obvious safety issue.
It would help if parking were restricted to one side of the street, but this is not the case. In addition, people who have parked their cars are getting out and walking up in the street to get to the park entrance because there is no other place to walk, thus creating conflicts between the pedestrian, the car and the bus. I am told that there are plans to create a park and ride lot near the Panchan entrance, but the funds may not be available for a while and building a parking lot takes time. No need to worry, I am told, after all the problems are only due to vacation season, right? In a couple of months, all will be back to normal and the traffic problems will go away. OK, maybe so, but we should pray that no one looses their lives in the meantime.
I suggest that this is a wake-up call for what the future might look like within the next 20 years. Too many cars and people on a road too narrow and curvy.

Whose Palenque is this?

2008-07-25T21:49:00.014-05:00

Around mid-day I saw a group of people dressed in purple, solemnly and quietly walk into the park in a single file. Since I am a student of the ancient Maya, my first reaction was to think that this ceremony had no place here. The participants were carrying two banners, one the image of Christ and the other I could not see. The presence of this group, with their chanting and singing, caused me to examine my feelings about who "owns" Palenque.

Here are just a few of the Owners of Palenque

Mexican School Children

Families on Vacation

Indigenous Maya in Traditional Dress

Young Indigenous Vendors

People from all over the world

La Piedra Serpiente

2008-07-25T00:13:00.008-05:00

Today I went to the site looking for a guide named Nicolas Lopez, a local Chol Maya. He had ben my guide last year into Palenque's jungle on the western side of the site and I wanted to go there again. Tourists can only visit this area if they are accompanied by a licensed guide. Guides must have 530 hours of training. Few touristas want to go there because the paths are muddy and hard to follow. Nicolas loves to tramp through the woods, finding things that he thinks are of interest to me. When we were done, after paying him, I also gave him a reproducible map of the site that he can give out to his future clients.

During our very watery tour, we carefully made our way through all the travertine terraces that have formed in and around the cascades. Water ladened with calcite from the underground springs coats everything over time, including these snail shells that we picked up out of the stream.

At one point, Nicolas exclaimed "La Serpiente!" and pointed down to one of the formations and sure enough, there it was, a stone snake. Si, es verdad!

Give me a sign that...

2008-07-23T12:01:00.011-05:00

tells me where I am - or that tells me what I shouldn't be doing, especially in an archaeological park. I have photographed, inventoried and geocoded over 100 signs at the park. Some are in really good shape and then there are others that have seem some weathering.

Here is a large stand up sign that the tourists and the guides just love. Its a map of the site that has the building names.

I made this map to help you see how I have geo-coded the signs. They are the purple dots and usually the are found along the tourist circuit path. As you can see, I still need to add the suspension bridge that crosses the Otolum (the signs incorrectly designate this crossing as the Murcielogos).

The Murcielagos Arroyo

2008-07-21T20:49:00.006-05:00

Until I made this map (in ArcScene) and then turned the site toward me, I hadn't realized how high up into the mountain the Murcielagos stream originates. The streams that cross Palenque come from perched table water springs that become full to overflowing due to added runoff when a big storm comes through. There are at least 51 of these type springs that flow out of the Palenque site.

Big Water, Little Crab

2008-07-20T21:15:00.006-05:00

It has rained every day for the last 2 months at the park site -- I'm sure that this comes as no surprise, since it's in a mountain jungle that is cooled by the Trade Winds of the Gulf of Mexico. I created this map that dispays Palenque's geographic position in relation to the Gulf and the large limestone escarpment that sits directly behind it.

The site experiences tremendous erosional processes during the events. This is a picture that I snapped of Group C today. Water pours across and over everything, even though many modern efforts has been used to try to channelize it.

Tthe Murcielagos (meaning bats) Group is also heavy soaked.

To my surprise and delight, I came across this little guy trying to cross the walkway and make his way down to one of the cascades. Obviously in a defensive posture...

Park Boundaries

2008-07-19T22:40:00.005-05:00

(Click on the map to open a new window)

When Ed Barnhart and his archaeological survey team finished their mapping work to determine what the boundaries and area extent of ancient Palenque might have been, they came to the conclusion that the site covered at least 220 hectares of land. That extent is what you see in this map. A hectare is an areal unit equal to 10,000 square meters. One hectare is equal to 2.47 acres. The purple area that I have outlined in this map is the area of the park that is maintained and where tourists are allowed to go. It's around 5% of the total area. The squiggly lines are part of a "tourist" circuit" pathway that guides people through the park.

Meet Anabella!!!!

2008-07-18T23:14:00.002-05:00

I would like you to meet my dear friend and fellow University of Texas PhD student who also is doing work at the Classic Maya site of Palenque, Mexico for the sustainable tourism project. She is examining and analyzing parts of the site architecture that are being impacted by tourism and natural processes such as erosion and vegetation growth. Archaeology is her love and passion and she is specializing in architecture. She has worked at the sites of La Corona, San Bartolo and Tikal - just to name a few.

Albercas de Palenque

2008-07-18T00:21:00.007-05:00

To help people cross all the streams that flow in and around the site, there are at least 7 bridges, both modern and ancient. This is the first one that crosses the Otolum Arroyo. I'm mapping the location of all the bridges, trying to describe each one's composition.

Above is a modern suspension bridge that the tourists just love. Many try to take pictures while standing in the middle of it, but its pretty hopeless to get it focused properly, since the bridge is always swinging. It is suspended over the Murcielagos Arroyo and has many travertine waterfalls.
Yes, I tried to get a good shot too, but I was just as shakey as the tourists. Click on the picture to enlarge it and you will see what I mean.
Here we have another bridge that crosses the Otolum, but this one still has some of the original stones that were put back together by archaeologists.

3D Image of the Palace

2008-07-16T15:52:00.004-05:00

I used 3D Analyst and ArcScene to make this image (same programs used for the 3D image of the entire mountain). The data comes from the work that Ed Barnhart and his mapping crew did 5 or 6 years ago. I received the data in AutoCAD format and I continue to try to produce an acceptable 3D model of the site to help me understand how people moved around within it. When I produced this image, I added the building lines into the process as "hard lines" to try to contain the elevation points. The palace looks distorted because only one elvation point was included - that for the middle of the structure. Looks a bit bumpy.

Stairs Again

2008-07-15T23:25:00.005-05:00

For the last month, I have climbed up and down the limestone (both modern and reconstructed) stairs at Palenque without a mishap. Its ironic that I finally hammered my left big toe on the two steps down from Alfonso and Julia's library -- landing on the concrete floor right on top of the computer monitor that I was carrying. The monitor was fine, but as you can see, the toe took a beating. I fear that I have broken it. Looks pretty ugly.

The black and blue is hardly visable if I add this gay and festive bonnet made especially for "stepping out". Not very practical for hiking around on the site, but still very fashionable for La Canada.

Stairs? -- We Got 'Um

2008-07-14T00:23:00.004-05:00

“The plateau on which the principal buildings of the Palenque group of ruins stands is not naturally perfectly level; but has a considerable slop downwards towards the north. This gradually sloping ground has been divided up and terraced into a number of comparatively level plots.” – Alfred Maudslay.
I made this map with ArcScene, another GIS application. She still needs work, but you get the idea, right? It is a long way down to street level where the main park road winds through the area represented in purple. I counted 170 modern stairs. Here's a view of some of them as I looked down...
Here's a view looking up...

Tree Resting Areas

2008-07-10T16:34:00.008-05:00

Scattered throughout the site are places like these where tourists and vendors can sit in the shade to rest or to listen to the local guides. I am mapping these resting areas as well as areas where the vendors sell their wares. Many of these vendors are local Maya and wear the traditional Maya traje. They each need several square feet of ground to be able to lay out their goods for beautiful displays like this one.

¿Qué signo es usted? (What sign are you?)

2008-07-09T13:17:00.008-05:00

Each day that I visit the site, I attract a larger number of children who work there. They run around to the tourists trying to sell little pendent necklaces with Maya day signs. (Signos! Signos!) They are always very curious about what I am doing and they gather round me and my computer to see. Most speak Chol and Spanish -- and enough English to be able to deal with the tourists. When they approach me, they think that I am connecting to the Internet, but I let them see the map on the computer screen and show them that I am editing a map of the site. On this day, two little girls approached me and I asked one of them to take a picture of us.

A Mapping Mania

2008-07-06T21:59:00.003-05:00

I am here at the ancient site of Palenque, Mexico this summer to study and to edit the Palenque GIS map (converted from AutoCAD to ArcGIS). I am recording data about the site's layout from the vantage point of how people interact with the site, its infrastructure and its natural setting.

This site is one of the most beautiful spots in Mesoamerica due to the springs and water cascades that cross its interesting topography. It is located at the base of Don Juan Mountain in the state of Chiapas.