Well, we have completed Week 2 of the Stann Creek Regional Archaeology Project at the Alabama Site, and other than nursing some very tender feet and sore muscles, we couldn’t be happier with our progress!

All week we (myself, Sonja, Morgan, Julilla, and three assistants from the village) were out surveying the settlement within a kilometre of the site epicentre. This involved walking MANY an orchard row and GPSing and mapping the mounded features discovered (which we will hopefully begin testing and excavating in a couple years), presumed to be primarily the houses of the commoner Maya of Alabama. We have been extremely surprised to see how much is actually still visible at ground surface despite the many decades of modern agricultural activity in the area. This work will provide the foundation for our larger research questions regarding the development of the urban centre over time. Next week we will continue survey and also visit some of the potential quarry areas (stone and clay) that the Maya of Alabama were likely accessing.

Life in the village is still as charming as ever. We really are so happy at how welcoming and friendly everyone has been!

Meaghan