Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities

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The BRASS/ El Pilar Project

The Belize River Archaeological Settlement Survey (BRASS)/ El Pilar Project is working at the
ancient Maya center of El Pilar (450 BC-AD 1100) located in Western Belize on the
Belize-Guatemala border. The center of El Pilar, the largest in the Belize River Valley Area,
covers more than 80 acres and includes many temples and platforms in excess of 60 feet high.
1996 fieldwork will encompass a number of areas: surface excavations on the site's acropolis,
subsurface (tunneling) beneath several major structures, surface excavations at two nearby
plazuela groups, survey of the new Belizean National Park (The El Pilar Archaeological Reserve
for Maya Flora and Fauna) and community development support in the local village.

The field staff will be at El Pilar from February through July of 1996 and there are several
opportunities for interested volunteers and/or students. There will be five two week sessions for
volunteers (no experience necessary) which will involve participants in many aspects of the
BRASS/El Pilar Program. These sessions are restricted to six participants each and will be held;
1. March 4 - Mar. 16
2. March 18 - Mar. 30
3. April 15 - Apr. 27
4. April 29 - May 11
5. May 13 - May 25

In addition, the Project also runs a field school for the University of California, Santa Barbara for
which college credit is available. This program involves intensive excavation, survey, lab work
and contribution to the annual field report and runs from April 1 - June 30.

Volunteers and students should be at least 18 years of age and in good physical shape.

The BRASS project, under the direction of Dr. Anabel Ford of the University of California -
Santa Barbara, has been operating in the San Ignacio area since 1982 (see the Winter 1992,
Journal of Field Archaeology for details on previous work). The project is an interdisciplinary
one involving archaeology, floral and faunal research, community development, ecotourism,
education and more. The 1996 season will be focused on major excavation, park survey, the
construction of tourist facilities and community development in the nearby villages.



If you are interested or would like more information on the volunteer
sessions or field school please contact:

D. Clark Wernecke
Field Director - BRASS/El Pilar Program
1400 NW 13th St. #19
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Phone/Fax: (407) 362-5505
E-mail: 102402.2332@compuserv.com

or
Dr. Anabel Ford
CORI/Mesoamerican Research Center
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
(805) 893-8191
E-mail: ford@alishaw.ucsb.edu

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