Program Guide: Unearthing the Shrouded History of the Maya Civilization

Program Provider		Vanderbilt University Virtual School
Contact Information		Jan Zanetis jan.zanetis@vanderbilt.edu 110 21st Ave., Suite 850 Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: (615) 343-8848 Fax: (615) 343-1145
Program Title		Unearthing the Shrouded History of the Maya Civilization
Target Audience		Education: Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Primary Disciplines		Problem Solving, Sciences, Social Studies/History
Secondary Disciplines		Gifted & Talented
Program Description		Discovery of the stone altar did not come about through archaeology, but as the result of a sustainable tourism and indigenous development project conducted by National Geographic, Vanderbilt and the humanitarian organization Counterpart International. The initiative, begun in 2001, is designed to train residents of the impoverished Q'eqchi' Maya villages near the Cancuén ruins to develop tourism and also helps provide basic health services, water, solar power and legal support. While working on the project, Demarest and his colleagues developed the trust of local residents, who eventually came to him with news that the altar had been looted from the ground after it was exposed by a storm. Demarest first learned of the altar's existence more than six months ago while working at the site. ?One night four Maya elders showed up at my tent in the project camp,? he recalled. ?They told me that a woman had been brutally beaten by men in ski masks who were searching for a great altar that had been looted from Cancuén, one that I hadn't even known existed.? Guatemalan officials state that this may be the first time an entire network of looters and dealers of Maya artifacts has been exposed. ?These arrests will set an example for the looters and dealers that Guatemala takes the defense of its ancient Maya heritage seriously,? said Claudia Gonzales Herrera, Guatemala's assistant attorney general for national patrimony. Herrera will lead prosecution of the looters. The Cancuén Archaeological Project has been the scene of a series of spectacular discoveries in the remote southwestern region of the Petén rain forest. The project has been unearthing the lost city of Cancuén, an ancient Maya mercantile port city located at the head of the Pasión River, the largest transport ?highway? of the Petén during the Late Classic golden age of the Maya civilization (A.D. 600-830). ?The local shamans and leaders have long revered these sites as sacred, but because of their involvement in managing the sites, they now also see them as vital to their economic future and to that of their children and grandchildren,? said Demarest. ?Because of this, some local Maya leaders took great personal risk to inform us about looters in the region, help apprehend the looters, and eventually to testify against them.? Jonathan Tourtellot, director of National Geographic's Sustainable Tourism project, views the capture of the looters and recovery of the altar as a great victory for sustainable community tourism. ?It's what we've been arguing for some time ? that the best way to protect the world's archaeological and ecological treasures is for the local people to share in the benefits of tourism,? said Tourtellot. ?They need to have an economic stake and a cultural identification with the sites.? Demarest agrees that ?the story of the altar's recovery is miraculous. Open to us now are clues to the end of the Cancuén kingdom that we never would have found without its recovery.? The larger figure carved on the altar is identified as Taj Chan Ahk, the lord of Cancuén's sprawling palace. ?Taj Chan Ahk was the greatest in Cancuén's long dynasty of rulers, and his titles on the altar show his aspirations to take control of the whole region during these final decades of Classic Maya civilization,? said Fahsen. Taj Chan Ahk used his wealth to construct Cancuén's gigantic palace of fine masonry and to cover it with life-sized stucco sculptures. He also dedicated ball courts and many monuments and used those settings to host feasts, rituals and ball games in order to ally himself with kings of other centers who had greater military power. ?His strategies allowed him to stay in power and even expand his authority at a time, about A.D. 800, when most of the other Maya kingdoms of the west were collapsing,? Fahsen said. Demarest and his colleagues will use Fahsen's decipherment of the altar and clues from other recently discovered monuments to continue excavations at Cancuén, including a search for the great king's royal tomb.
Program Format		The videoconference will be a 20-25 minute presentation and may include visuals or audiovisuals to enhance the presentation. This will be followed by an interactive 10-15 minute question/answer session with students.
Objectives		Students will: define archeology make observations and inferences about a culture analyze information by catergorizing, comparing, and contrasting organize and interpret information gathered from videoconference
Vocabulary Words & Definitions		archeologists Cancuén Maya civilization indigenous peoples ancient ruins Maya royal palace
Participant Preparation		Students should have SOME familiarity with this subject. Teacher should brainstorm with students before the videoconference and ask students to prepare some sample questions to ask presenter during the interactive question/answer session. Please have students that will ask questions seated near a microphone. Please make sure you understand how to mute and unmute your microphones.
Suggestions for Pre Program Activities		1) Mysteries of the Nile http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt Discover the mysteries and monumental architecture of ancient Egypt with a team of scientists in this Nova online adventure. Grade Level: 6-12 2) Students love mysteries and here is a mystery site sure to intrigue every student. Investigate and learn: The CIA's Secret Zone for Kids http://www.odci.gov/cia/ciakids/safe.html Infiltrate the CIA as you investigate the agency and its history. The site includes a geography quiz, a world facts book, and more. Disguises included! Grade Level: 6-12
Suggestions for Post Program Activities		Archeology Project: "Create an artifact" Objective: Students will create their own version of an artifact they have seen. They can choose their own medium to get a real feel for the item, its makers, and the past. Method: Students may choose: * carving (soap) ..(depending on age) * papier mache * modeling clay * paint Skills: Determine details, color, sizes, shapes, best method, stimulate creativity, relate to the past, creative writing (rhythm, rhyme) Materials: * Ivory soap bars * Butter knives (age, ability appropriate) * Newspapers * Papier mache glue (mixed and ready to use in containers) (may share at one table) * Paints * Clay, play dough (real clay to fire, if possible) * Wire (for papier mache support, inside) Extensions: Have students write about the piece they've made in some manner ... song, poem, letter, story. Students each take turns doing a "show and tell" of an antique or artifact their family owns. Special Notes: Project needs little early preparation. Make glue and organize materials. This project is very easy and useful for specific time periods and history past. Ex. The Civil War dig on Johnson's Island, OH ... the soldiers carved hard black rubber into rings and other small items. Have students try to carve a ring or a fish out of soap and paint it black. Ex.Dinosaur dig ... have students papier mache a specific dinosaur, research it, orally present to class.
Supplemental Resources		National Geographic: Sustainable Tourism Resource Center http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable/ Mexico Connect: The Maya Civilization http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/ldumois/maya/mayanindex.html Mystery of the Maya www.civilization.ca/civil/maya/mminteng.html
National Standards to which this program aligns		Cultural Heritage and Archeology 7.1-7.7 History traditional historical points in history to the contemporary era 7.8-7.11 Geography uses geographic tools to collect, analyze and interpret data, the concept of regions, interaction of humans and the environment, characteristics, distribution and migration of population the location, patterns of settlement, and geographic factors that influence where people live 7.16 Citizenship rights and responsibilities of citizens 7.19 Culture basic economic patterns of early societies diversity within unity 7.20 Science, Technology and Society the impact of science and technology on society 7.21-7.23 Social Studies Skills critical thinking, using information, analyzing data, communication, problem-solving and decision-making
Cancellation Policy		The full fee will be charged to sites that cancel with less than 48 hours notice unless there is a school closing due to snow or weather emergencies.
Is video taping allowed?		No
Video Taping Notes		Videotaping is NOT allowed. Streaming Video is available for all Vanderbilt Virtual School Videoconferences.

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