T H E
A rch A eo l og i ca l
C onser v anc y
Oaxaca When: October 29–November 8, 2010 Where: Mexico How Much: $2,495 per person ($350 single supplement)
Join us in Oaxaca, Mexico during one of the most unusual festivals anywhere—the Day of the Dead. On this day, people prepare home altars and cemeteries to welcome the dead, who are believed to return to enjoy the food and drink they indulged in while alive. The Day of the Dead is one of celebrations. You’ll have the opportunity to explore Oaxaca’s museums and markets. Our tour will also visit the Mixtecan and Zapotecan archaeological sites in the region, including Mitla, Monte Albán, San José Mogote, and Dainzú. You’ll also see several crafts villages featuring weaving, pottery, carved animals, and other local art.
Visitors explore the extensive ruins at Monte Albán, a city built by the Zapotec and Mixtec.
Belize and Tikal
Our tour begins on the coast of Belize, where you’ll tour Belize City, see Altun Ha, and take a boat ride up the New River to Lamanai, a Maya trading center established before Christ and occupied until a.d.1641. From the coast you’ll travel to the inner reaches of the country and explore the splendid mountaintop palace of Cahal Pech. A ferry ride will take you to the ruins of Xunantunich, once an important trading center. There you’ll tour El Castillo, a classic example of the Maya technique of constructing a pyramid over an older pyramid. From Xunantunich you’ll visit the recently excavated ceremonial site of Caracol, the largest Maya site in Belize. You’ll also visit Yaxhá, a city 19 miles southeast of Tikal that features an impressive series of plazas and platform groups. At Tikal, you’ll spend two days exploring one of the most magnificent Maya centers situated in the Petén rain forest. Thought to have had a population exceeding 75,000, Tikal once spanned an area of more than 25 square miles. John Henderson will lead the tour. Archaeologist John Henderson points to El Castillo, a huge pyramid at Xunantunich in Belize.
54
fall • 2010
jim walker
When: March 13–23, 2010 Where: Belize and Guatemala How Much: $2,795 per person ($375 single supplement)
