Schedule for previous July Summer Archaeology Program at Copan, Honduras

You may arrive any day you wish, and depart on the day of your choice. Just be sure to allow one full day for arrival, since Copan is 4 to 5 hours from the San Pedro Sula airport.

Evening get-together, question-and-answer session, discussions. Once you sign up you will get additional information. Dr Hellmuth has been lecturing at Copan for over two decades.

Part I: Introduction and Survey, Mesoamerica from A to Z (Aztec to Zapotec, or, in historical perspective, from Olmec through Maya, Teotihuacan, and Zapotec, into the Toltec and Mixtec and their neighbors the Aztec). In 1995, Hellmuth was provided a princely stipend to photograph almost all the museums in Mexico for 18 months. Curators opened the exhibit cases everywhere, resulting in a photo archive of unparalleled coverage of 3000 years of art and artifacts.. You will see archaeological treasures today that will enhance your awareness of pre-Columbian archaeology of Mesoamerica.

Part II: Maya ballgame Session

Analysis of the ballgame sculptures in the village museum; slide lectures; question-and-answer sessions; discussions. Will cover the known facts on the use of yokes, hachas, and palmas.

Analysis of the two ballcourts of Copan; discussion of the playing positions, rules., and the size of the ball. Will compare and contrast the courts of Copan with those elsewhere. The role of the steps will be a key aspect in the presentation of recent advances in understanding the game.

Part III: Maya monumental architecture session

Visits to all the structures at Copan. Classroom discussion, slides, analyses, comparison of the architecture of Copan with the building practices at other Maya cities.

Detailed analysis of the buildings exhibited on the second floor of the immense new Copan sculpture museum. The role of Teotihuacan's influence on the style and content of Maya art will be featured.

Part IV: Session on Monumental Maya Sculpture: Stelae, altars, wall panels, reliefs, carved thrones...
All day to learn about the early stelae of Copan, how to identify the deities, how to recognize the Copan manner of royal dress, and style and iconography of the hieroglyphic inscriptions in the village museum.

A complete day to review all the fascinating sculpture which is outside at Copan, in the Main Plaza, up in the Acropolis, as well as the piles and piles of sculptural remains all over the site.

Three dimensional sculpture and deep relief carving are the hallmark of Copan art. Today we explore the immense museum of Maya sculpture with all the wonderful reliefs so carefully reassembled by Barbara Fash and her colleagues.

Part V: Session on Ceramic Art of Copan

Sherds are the mainstay of Maya archaeological research (shards are broken Coca Cola bottles). This session enters the realm of field archaeology, the ceramic sequence, grave lot, and site provenance. Today you will learn how important it is to know which artifacts were found together in the tomb (the grave lot). Considering that your instructor has analyzed Maya ceramics since his discovery of the royal crypt filled with elite funerary ceramics in the Tomb of the Jade Jaguar, you can look forward to an educational treat today.

Part VI: Jade, Obsidian, Flint (chert) and other artifacts of the Classic Maya

Since Copan is near the jade mines of the Motagua River (upstream from Quirigua) you can expect lots of jade at Copan.

Part VII: How is rollout photography accomplished?

Part VIII: Art & Artifact Photography

Photography of monumental architecture and monumental art (stelae, altars, and other large sculptuers). Don't worry that you have never used this equipment before. First, you are never required to use any of it if you do not wish to. Second, these sessions are for you to learn, and many people prefer to learn by watching. Individuals who learn better with hands-on practice, we have the equipment for you to share.

Part IX: Nature Photography: tropical flora and fauna.

Part X: Basics of Digital Photography

Part XI: Photography to create virtual objects (rotating, not rollouts, a totally different concept) We will teach you how to do this with the basic film-based 35mm camera that you already have, or with a digital camera, whichever you prefer. FLAAR is a leader in digital photography in general and QTVR photography in particular. We are proud to be the first web site to put multiple photographs of virtual 3D Maya art and artifacts, and to have more QTVR panorama virtual museums than any other site. We are also the only site to be using a seamless panorama as the basis for virtual museum spaces.

One day will work on doing 3D objects, the other day will focus more on virtual spaces (such as virtual museums).

Review of digital photography printing technologies. This is an especially informative part of the overall program because today you will learn how to put your photographs on paper, electronically, with no darkroom. Although it is not required that you sign up for the printing sessions, they are wholeheartedly recommended.

The schedule will vary depending on a variety of local factors, from weather to the local situation. If some new archaeological discovery is made, or if circumstances change, we will work these changes into the schedule as appropraite. Please do not expect things to run with the regularity or precision of a Swiss clock. After all, if you really wanted the Swiss lifestyle, you would have moved to Zurich long ago.