PADO Background

The co-directors first visited the Jesus de Otoro valley during the summer of 2004. At that time we had completed the field work for our dissertations and were searching for a new research area. As it turned out, the Honduran Institute of History and Anthropology was looking for someone to follow up on a valley survey recently completed by Institute Archaeologist Oscar Neill Cruz. We were in the right place at the right time.

The valley has a number of pre-Columbian sites and a few Colonial sites as well. There is some variation in the pre-Columbian sites. For example, we are working at Sinsimbla, one of several sites with monumental architecture. Not all of the site are quite so large and at least one site in the mountians has no architecture at all, but rather is a rock art site with many images carved in stone.

The primary research interests for the co-directors are related to identity and political economy in southeast Mesoamerica. Through the archaeological record we hope to understand how individuals and societies define themselves and make decisions about resources. Questions that emerge from our interests are especially important in this region because people from many different cultural and ethnic groups interacted with each other creating a rich a varied archaeological landscape.

Of course, addressing our broad research goals will take many years of research. So, in the short-term we are attempting to better understand the nature and extent of the archaeological sites in the valley. In 2006, the co-directors conducted a foot survey around the site of Sinsimbla. We were pleased to note the presence of previously undocumented structures and disappointed to find that many more structures were destroyed as a result of modern farming practices.

During the following season, students from the JCCC International Archaeological Field School conducted excavations in two structures on the north end of Sinsimbla. We designated this cluster of structures as Operation 2. Initial analysis revealed that the structures were occuppied from the Late Preclassic through Terminal Classic periods (250 BC to AD 900).

This season we have turned our focus to the Main Plaza of Sinsimbla, designated as Operation 1. It is a centrally located site and we hope to better understand when the site was first settled, the cultural affiliations of people living at the site, and when the site was abandonded.

Structure 1 at Sinsimbla is a monumental pyramid and when it is clear of vegetation an outset stairway and second platform are visible. Given the short season of our field school we have placed two test excavations in prime (we hope) locations to identify stratified remains and associated construction episodes. The first is a one meter by three meter trench along the western wall of Structure 1. The second excavation is a similar trench along the western wall of Structure 9. The location of these test units is marked in red below.

Hide and Seek

Wednesday morning dawned hot and clear here in Jesus de Otoro, bringing many good things.



For one thing, Katia is feeling much better. For another, we all made it through the cement-like upper layer of soil we had been digging through yesterday.




The afternoon brought us added treats in the form of Dona Pasqualle's grandchildren. She brought them with her to our house today and we had a great time playing with them (while ostensibly doing lab work). It took only the slightest urging to rile them up beyond the energy levels of anyone on the project (let alone, we suspect, any human person under the age of 10). A rousing game of hide and seek, complete with shouting, screaming, and water guns, ensued.







As you can see, we had a fabulous time playing with them.


It wasn't all play, though. Today the students got a change to begin processing the artifacts that they collected yesterday.



Until our next post -- Abrazos!

Getting into the dirt

It's been a long day here in Jesus de Otoro. The day began at 7:00 as we piled into the truck and left for our first day of excavation. We've divided into two excavation crews. Jason and Jessica will be working at Structure 1 and Jordan and Katia will excavate at Structure 9. The co-directors will be moving between excavations. Luckily, we have a clear path between the structures.

Despite the hard-packed soil, spirits remained high. We have recovered a few pieces of pottery, chert, and obsidian in the upper levels. Jason and Jessica have exposed an abundance of tightly packed cobbles at the base of Structure 1. Tomorrow, their job is to figure out if it is tumble or a purposefully built construction.

Over at Structure 9, there were fewer cobbles but the hard soil made for difficult digging. The boys (Jordan, Nery, and Bill - Katia was feeling under the weather and stayed in for the day) made headway. Jordan proved to be a quick study with the hand pick.

Nery, as always, was immensely helpful with the investigations. Here he assists in the screening and identification of artifacts. In a future entry we must feature Nery's contributions to the archaeology of the Jesus de Otoro valley. What we know of the valley and how our project functions would not be the same without his expertise.

We finished up in the field around noon and started the short hike back to the truck for our drive into town for lunch. Not only is it a relief to reach the truck (parked in the shade) but the hike offers a chance to see the local flora and fauna. Although not terribly exotic, we found this fellow to be impressive.After lunch, we slipped into the lab for class and artifact washing and processing. After a quick discussion of artifact types we dove right in and began to wash all the material from the days excavations. By tomorrow afternoon today's artifacts will be dry and the students will get a tutorial on processing artifacts by type.


Everyone had the afternoon and evening off. It's been hot and dry here so everyone looked for shade or something cold to drink. A few students wandered around our new neighborhood, but most entered notes and caught up on reading for the next class. Now that the sun has set the project house is quiet.

More news from the field to come!

First day of work!

Today was our very first day of work out at Sinsimbla and everybody was really excited.

The students, many of whom were still weary from their long trip here, were absolute troopers! Even though it was early and equipment needed to be gathered and everything organized, we still made it out of the house by 7am.

We had a great morning out at the site. It was hot (of course), but there was a good breeze and it was nice and dry. We were able to get our excavations laid out and set up so that tomorrow we can take our trowels to the soil and really get down to business!

To start, we'll be working on two structures - Structure 1 (the BIG one) and Structure 9 (which is just around the corner). We hope to be able to give you updates in the coming weeks about our findings (what were these buildings used for? when were they occupied? how did their occupants relate to each other?).

Here are a few shots from our first morning:



In this picture, Bill shows Jason, Katia, and Jessica how to lay out an excavation trench.




For his note-taking, Jordan has snagged some fabulous shade!




A little note-taking for Miranda, Jason, Jessica, and Katia.

See you next time (hopefully with more juicy details on our excavations).

Abrazos

The eagle has landed!

The co-directors left for San Pedro Sula at 7:30 this morning. Our mission for the day was to pick up a few miscellaneous supplies and collect all of the students. Nearing the end of the day, we can claim success!

Jason, Jessica, and Jordan arrived safe and sound at midday. All students navigated the H1N1 inspection station, passed through immigration, and filtered through customs with ease. The co-directors welcomed them to Honduras with open arms (and a dirty truck).

After exchanging currency, much rearranging of luggage, a quick stop for lunch, and a two hour drive later, we made it back to the project house in Jesus de Otoro. Katia arrive minutes later and just like that we had a complete field school.

This year our field school consists of (from left to right) Miranda Stockett, Jessica Antonopoulos, Katia Roque, Jordon Kaatz, Jason Randall, and Bill McFarlane.

Clearly, there is much anticipation for the season and everyone is excited to get into the field tomorrow morning. I can already tell that this is an excellent group. If we identify artifacts as well as we spot strange cloud formations we will do just fine.

Preparing the site for excavation

Today the co-directors got up bright and early and took three local guys out to the site of Sinsimbla. Their mission: to chop down all the overgrown vegetation and prepare the site for excavations, which will begin on Monday morning.

Since it has been so wonderfully dry the last few days, we are able to drive our trusty black truck most of the way out to the site. We parked in a shady spot under a big tree next to the tidiest little farm in all of Honduras:



From there it is about a 5-10 minute walk to the site itself (wending through brush along a cute little Hobbit-path -- alternatively, this path might *possibly* have been made by cows...)



Birds nest in the nearby trees and, happily, the fields seem to be relatively free of ticks this year! All around the site farmers are making milpa (planting corn) and irrigating their rice fields. Its quite pastoral and lovely.

Here are a few shots of the site before the brush was chopped down (see if you can identify the stone mounds through all that greenery!):




This really big hill of trees is actually a massive pyramid - pretty cool:



Here's what things at Sinsimbla look like now that the brush has been removed:



You can get a sense of how big the pyramid is by looking for the tiny white dot for scale -- that's Bill. Furthermore, what's been cleared is only the first of two levels to this structure. Its huge!

Hope you've enjoyed our latest update. We look forward to posting more about our adventures after our students arrive tomorrow!

Abrazos!

The Co-directors arrive

After an overnight stay in San Pedro Sula, the co-directors collected some equipment on loan from the Proyecto Valle de Cacaulapa (thanks P & E) and headed out to the Jesus de Otoro valley on Wednesday. After a few quick phone calls we arrived at the rented project house for 2009 with all of our stored and borrowed equipment.

The house has everything we need and is located on the edge of town. There is very little street traffic so the neighborhood is quiet and peaceful. Accommodations certainly will be cozy this year with the students and co-directors in the same house.

Our big work day was Thursday. Met with our lady of the house Dona Pasquale and then the house really started to come together. Jorge, our friend from Cofradia, wrangled wood, blocks, and many other necessities from town and by the early afternoon the house was outfitted with beds, water, gas, shelves, and many other luxuries.

Miranda and I took our first trip to Sinsimbla with Don Nery to inspect the site. The site looks good but requires a bit of clearing before we can begin. Luckily our plans are small and they should be able to clear the structures we plan to excavate before work begins on Monday. Miscellaneous trips about town, errands, and an initial run to Siguatepeque for provisions rounded out the day. After all the work, I fell asleep exhausted on Thursday night.

Waking up to a cup of coffee in your own house certainly has a way of brightening the day. Although the list is long, we have a manageable day of house setup and organization ahead of us. Miranda jumped right in a built the multi-purpose shelves for each room. As a first timer, I'm getting the hang of blogging. Soon I will spring into action. By the time the students arrive on Sunday, this place will be a well-oiled machine!