When I applied for funding this past spring, my plan was to conduct my summer fieldwork in Israel. Shortly after I submitted my application, however, I was introduced to PhD candidate Brett Meyer, whose research is based in west central Belize. After some discussion, my plans changed, leading me to spend two months working with him at his dissertation site, Ek Tzul.First identified via LiDAR a decade ago, Ek Tzul was an intermediate Maya center and an outpost of a larger site (likely nearby Baking Pot). It is located in Georgeville, Cayo District, and is surrounded by pasture, agricultural land, and the dense undergrowth of the southernfoothills of the valley. Excavations began in the summer of 2022 with the ballcourt and structure A2, which was believed to have had a ritual function. In 2023, the investigation of the site resumed in Plaza A to the southwest. We spent our first few days in this public plaza, digging a1.5x1.5 meter unit with the goal of obtaining samples for radiocarbon dating. This proved unsuccessful, likely due to the poor preservation of the area. We then moved to elite Plaza B to the northeast, where we uncovered the remnants of what might be a Preclassic wall. In order to follow the wall, we extended the unit twice, although we cut this short and moved to structure B1, the elite residence. We spent the majority of the summer here, digging a roughly 6x3 meter unit into the side of the mound. By exposing and mapping each layer of architecture, we worked to establish a timeline of construction phases, which we will use to help us determine when Ek Tzul was occupied and piece together its development over time. After concluding excavations in B1, we moved down the hill to the Terminus Group, the adjacent ritual structure, and opened a 2x1.5 meter unit in Plaza C. This unit yielded only marginally better material than in Plaza A.Surprisingly, we found very few artifacts other than potsherds and chert flakes. This was particularly unusual for B1, which, as an elite residence, could have contained burials and dedicatory caches. However, the closest we ever got to a burial was a few fragments of humantibia one my colleagues found in a layer of rock fill. This is likely the result of the extensive looting that previously occurred, an unfortunately common feature of archaeological sites in this region. Nevertheless, the material we gathered is still of great use. The ceramics, most of which are from B1, are an important line of evidence when examining the chronology of the site. Based on my preliminary analysis (as I am responsible for the ceramics report this year), two major phases of occupation occurred at Ek Tzul: the first during the Middle Preclassic (1000-300 BCE), and then much later during the Late Classic (600-900 CE). It will be interesting to seewhat future excavations reveal about these two periods, and about what happened in between.Although not my first field experience, this was my first time actually excavating and handling recovered material. Like last summer, it was reassuring to find that I enjoy this aspect of fieldwork, and I am actively looking forward to the next dig season. To say I learned a lot is an understatement; this season was productive not only from a research perspective, but from a personal one as well. I am incredibly grateful to have had this experience, and would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Anthropology Department, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance project, Brett, and especially the donors of the Derrow/Goodman Fund and the Riggs Hoenecke Student Experience Fund.
The Belize Valley, as seen from the top of B1.
Exposed penultimate architecture in B1.
