Key Takeaways from Mayan Discoveries Lecture and Panel Discussion

 

As part of the Global Humanities Initiative, the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy is partnering with the Embassy of Guatemala to host a discussion on recent archaeological discoveries made by Dr. Marcello Canuto and Dr. Francisco Estrada-Belli of Tulane University and Dr. Tomás Barrientos of the Universidad de Valle de Guatemala. The archaeologists are part of a team of researchers led by Guatemala’s PACUNAM LiDAR Initiative, who recently discovered dozens of ancient, previously lost Mayan cities of more than 60,000 houses, palaces, elevated highways and other large constructions in the jungles of Guatemala. On January 27, 2022, the virtual program will begin at 11:00 EST with a lecture by Dr. Canuto and Dr. Estrada-Belli followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Barrientos, Dr. Sarah Parcak (University of Alabama), and Dr. John Walker (University of Central Florida), moderated by Dr. Loa Traxler (University of New Mexico). Guests will include students, leading archaeologists and anthropologists, cultural heritage and museum professionals and scholars, and organizations with a focus on Central America, Pre-Columbian studies, and Mayan cultures.

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Top takeaways from the conversation:

In the lecture, Drs. Marcello Canuto and Francisco Estrada-Belli discussed LiDAR technology's impact on archaeological surveys in Guatemala. The preservation of nature and its surrounding wildlife is a focal point of Guatemalan politics. Ambassador Quiñónez stressed this by saying that the government just renewed deforestation and climate protection laws for another 25 years. However, the habitat and verdant landscape obstruct the ancient Mayan structures and roads. The PACUNAM LiDAR Initiative in Guatemala enables archaeologists to utilize aerial light detection scanning to identify what formations lie beneath the forest canopy without any damage.

The following lecture by Drs. Marcello Cauto and Francisco Estrada-Belli supported the LiDAR technology and showed the audience examples of the scanning results. For instance, in six months, archaeologists determined ten times more than what standard pedestrian surveying was complete in five years. Technology can help collect data and obtain the variations, elevations, and mysteries behind the Mayan landscape. In addition to the variety of data LiDAR can gather, archaeologists can visually manipulate the data to appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Day and night views, 3-D enhancement, and a thermal panorama are just a view of the filters users can choose to help make the data come to life. Archeologists can then relay the imagery and visualizations to governments, companies, and the general public for their geological knowledge and educational expansion.

Dr. Tomás Barrientos was one of the panelists and is the Chair of the Archaeology Department and Director of the Center for Archaeological and Anthropological Research at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Dr. Barrientos supports the use of LiDAR, to which the other panelists agreed, but hopes "that all this knowledge can spread to other areas of Guatemala." In the future, the data collecting process and technology can be used in other areas in the world, as Dr. Sarah Parcak noted due to archaeological efforts to map underground tombs in Egypt. Data transferring and community empowerment are also critical aspects of ensuring the information can be translated and utilized throughout various communities.

The Q&A segment brought forth many compelling questions as we are currently in the golden age of archaeological discoveries and technology. When posed with the question of what new things can come from the work we have been discussing, panelist Dr. Sarah Parcak added insight into the future moving towards digital documentation and mobile technology. Dr. Parcak is the founding director of the Laboratory for Global Observation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She looks to her students as they will be the future of both archaeology and technological advancement. Dr. Parcak noted her excitement for what the future generation "not only will do but what they are already doing now." For technology, the next generation needs to challenge past stratagem to allow for new ideas to come forth and further advance the development of archaeologic technology.

Dr. John Walker noted that all of the issues spoken about in the lecture and discussion are interconnected. Dr. Walker even went on to say that the "audience is connected to us in a way it wasn't a few years ago, and that imposes responsibility on all of us in sharing power and sharing ideas of what is to be done and how we are to do it." Through multinational collaboration and communal involvement, successful data collection, technological inventions, and archeological advancements are all possible. In the closing remarks, the panelists and lecturers supported that sentiment and stressed empowering the community, pursuing new archeological technology, and the significance of worldwide communication and involvement.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this web page do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.