March 31, 2022

Grant: $1500 (Spring 1980)

Education level at time of the grant: PhD student

Project Description: The grant funded the thin section preparation of archaeological samples of ancient Maya ceramics for the petrographic analyses. Samples were selected based on form and paste in consultation with geologists at UCSB. The research was designed to use petrography to characterize the resources that the ancient Maya were using in their pottery production.

How did the grant process or the project itself influence you as a scientist/researcher? This project was collaborative; myself as an archaeologist could describe the ceramics but could not place them in the geological context. The geologists were experienced in petrography and could easily appreciate the implications. As it turns out, the results of this research presented a puzzle that I have consistently looked to answer.  

Where are you now? I am a research archaeologist with a career of investigating ancient Maya settlement and environmental relationships. In the course of my settlement surveys, I found a major Maya center, El Pilar. The location of this site spreads across Belize and Guatemala and under my direction has become a binational protected area. I have acquired Lidar and intend to complete the survey of the 20 square km reserve and present my interpretation of settlement patterns and their implications for resilience and sustainability.  

Students may apply for Sigma Xi research grants by March 15 and October 1 annually at www.sigmaxi.org/giar.