Investigations at El Castillo, Xunantunich, uncovered a series of Late Classic rooms on the easte... more Investigations at El Castillo, Xunantunich, uncovered a series of Late Classic rooms on the eastern side of the acropolis. A small private stairway provided access to these rooms suggesting a special function. Our excavations of the southeastern room revealed that it was intentionally filled with clay and stacked stones in a reverential manner. The doorjambs and walls were covered with incised images and designs, ranging from simple sketches (graffiti) to more formal renderings. In this paper we highlight the methods that we used to document the corpus of incised images as well as present our preliminary interpretations of their meaning. We argue that some plastered walls served as canvases for sketching, artistic training, and learned scribal expression. Furthermore, we believe this room was a special place where an ancient Maya sage trained apprentices in the arts and sacred knowledge. Lending support to this interpretation, the walls were partitioned into sections and several images were repeated as if the designs were being practiced. This newly discovered room provides a glimpse into how ancient Maya sacred knowledge was passed on.
As archaeologists, we frame our practice and research through the detached, impersonal, and the f... more As archaeologists, we frame our practice and research through the detached, impersonal, and the fieldworker We rarely recognize or describe the contributions of those people integral in archa
Virtual reality applications in archaeology are growing. Virtual reconstruction of architecture a... more Virtual reality applications in archaeology are growing. Virtual reconstruction of architecture and artifacts is one such application. After a period of initial exploration and development, scholars know recognize the need for transparency of the processes by which virtual reconstructions are created. Several key factors of virtual reconstructions should be transparent. These include: contextual information, problem and resolution pairs, sources, instances of conjecture, levels of uncertainty, and alternative options for reconstruction. This project takes up the challenge of creating a system to document transparency information. A case study concerning the ancient Maya site of Xunantunich is utilised to apply the proposed ‘Paradata Documentation’ scheme. Above all, this project explores the experiential value of the process of creating virtual reconstructions and the added value transparency can impart to virtual archaeology as a growing sub-discipline.
The Anthropology Teaching Forum (ATF) at UTSA was founded to promote collaboration among faculty ... more The Anthropology Teaching Forum (ATF) at UTSA was founded to promote collaboration among faculty and grad students in the Department of Anthropology and offer venues for directed discussion of pedagogical topics relevant to anthropology courses across the subdisciplines. With this poster, we hope to pique your interest, expand our membership beyond UTSA, and document how teaching forums can be effective and innovative for faculty in any department and for any discipline.
Investigations at El Castillo, Xunantunich, uncovered a series of Late Classic rooms on the easte... more Investigations at El Castillo, Xunantunich, uncovered a series of Late Classic rooms on the eastern side of the acropolis. A small private stairway provided access to these rooms suggesting a special function. Our excavations of the southeastern room revealed that it was intentionally filled with clay and stacked stones in a reverential manner. The doorjambs and walls were covered with incised images and designs, ranging from simple sketches (graffiti) to more formal renderings. In this paper we highlight the methods that we used to document the corpus of incised images as well as present our preliminary interpretations of their meaning. We argue that some plastered walls served as canvases for sketching, artistic training, and learned scribal expression. Furthermore, we believe this room was a special place where an ancient Maya sage trained apprentices in the arts and sacred knowledge. Lending support to this interpretation, the walls were partitioned into sections and several images were repeated as if the designs were being practiced. This newly discovered room provides a glimpse into how ancient Maya sacred knowledge was passed on.
As archaeologists, we frame our practice and research through the detached, impersonal, and the f... more As archaeologists, we frame our practice and research through the detached, impersonal, and the fieldworker We rarely recognize or describe the contributions of those people integral in archa
Virtual reality applications in archaeology are growing. Virtual reconstruction of architecture a... more Virtual reality applications in archaeology are growing. Virtual reconstruction of architecture and artifacts is one such application. After a period of initial exploration and development, scholars know recognize the need for transparency of the processes by which virtual reconstructions are created. Several key factors of virtual reconstructions should be transparent. These include: contextual information, problem and resolution pairs, sources, instances of conjecture, levels of uncertainty, and alternative options for reconstruction. This project takes up the challenge of creating a system to document transparency information. A case study concerning the ancient Maya site of Xunantunich is utilised to apply the proposed ‘Paradata Documentation’ scheme. Above all, this project explores the experiential value of the process of creating virtual reconstructions and the added value transparency can impart to virtual archaeology as a growing sub-discipline.
The Anthropology Teaching Forum (ATF) at UTSA was founded to promote collaboration among faculty ... more The Anthropology Teaching Forum (ATF) at UTSA was founded to promote collaboration among faculty and grad students in the Department of Anthropology and offer venues for directed discussion of pedagogical topics relevant to anthropology courses across the subdisciplines. With this poster, we hope to pique your interest, expand our membership beyond UTSA, and document how teaching forums can be effective and innovative for faculty in any department and for any discipline.
Fajina Archaeology Outreach has produced, published, and distributed three variations of a trilin... more Fajina Archaeology Outreach has produced, published, and distributed three variations of a trilingual (English, Spanish, Yucatec Maya) children's book called To the Mountain! to promote archaeological and cultural heritage in Belize. The story is coauthored by archaeologists Sylvia Batty, Rebecca Friedel, and Leah McCurdy. To the Mountain! follows two ancient Maya kids, Little Moon and Running Jaguar, on an adventure to ancient Katyaatz Witz (Clay Mountain), today known as Xunantunich, near San José Succotz, Belize. This is the first archaeologically-inspired storybook written specifically for Belizeans. The text incorporates archaeologically accurate information about the locations in the story. Additionally, the book highlights significant plants and animals in the illustrations and an interactive " Did You Spot It? " game. We printed and distributed full color, trilingual versions to children in Grades 2 – 6 and coloring book versions to children in preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1. We also published the full version as an e-book and made it available online for free. We are currently in the process of creating an audiobook as well as raising funds for a second printing to expand our distribution to other communities in Belize. Our website is http://fajinaoutreach.org/tothemountain
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Papers by Leah McCurdy