Wilderness-Travel-2017-Catalog

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SPEC I AL EVENT
The new millennium has brought many exciting discoveries to light in northern Guatemala that have
significantly altered our understanding of the Maya. The size and sophistication of El Mirador, at its height
during 300-150 BC, make it one of the largest and earliest of the Maya cities; mural paintings at San Bartolo,
carbon dated to 100 BC, make them the oldest known Mayan paintings; and La Corona is now proven to
be the long-sought “Site Q,” solving one of the great mysteries of Mayan archaeology. Our symposium is
a wonderful opportunity to discuss these finds in the company of distinguished experts who will greatly
enhance our understanding of this remarkable civilization, whose secrets are still being revealed.
The Symposium
Our symposium presentations will also discuss Xultun,
site of the oldest Mayan astronomical tables, which
contradict the 2012 “end of the world” theories,
and Holmul, a small but strategic kingdom with an
enormous inscribed frieze dating to the 6th century.
Although we are unable to visit these very remote
sites themselves, we will discuss their significance
and enjoy special access to the Mirador, Corona, and
Holmul laboratories in Antigua and Guatemala City,
where artifacts from the sites are stored and studied.
Additional symposium excursions bring us to the
ceremonial center of Yaxhá and incomparable Tikal,
with the symposium based at a lovely hotel on the
shores of the Petenchel Lagoon.
The Guest Speakers
Dr. Richard D. Hansen, an archaeologist specializing
in the early Maya, is Director of the Mirador Basin
Project and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at the
University of Utah. He has written extensively on his
work and been featured in many documentaries on
the Maya. Dr. Marcello Canuto is Director of Tulane
University’s Middle American Research Institute and an
Associate Professor of Anthropology. He is co-director
of the La Corona Regional Archaeological Project, a
multi-disciplinary study of the heart of lowland Maya
civilization. Dr. Francisco Estrada-Belli directs a
multi-disciplinary archaeological project at Holmul,
Guatemala, and teaches archaeology and geographic
information systems at Tulane University. A National
Geographic Explorer, he is the author of a book on the
origins of Maya civilization. We will also be joined two
other prominent archaeologists associated with the
recent exciting discoveries in northern Guatemala.
Post-Symposium Tours
each accompanied by a Guest Speaker
• Classic Kingdoms of the Maya
Caracol, Dzibanche, Kohunlich, Calakmul, Palenque
• The Artistry of the Ancient Maya
Tikal, Holmul, Quiriguá, Copán, Kaminaljuyú
• Splendors of Mayan Mexico
Yaxchilán, Bonampak, Palenque, Uxmal, Chichén Itzá
• Hidden Treasures of Mayan Guatemala
Ceibal, Aguateca, Cancuén, Mixco Viejo, Iximché
Program Cost: TBA
CALL FOR DETAILS 1.800.368.2794 14
KENNETH GARRETT
CRAIG LOVELL
WOLFGANG KAEHLER