Tulane University

Image courtesy of Michael Paul Sauder.

Classroom archaeology: Methods used to understand the lives of the ancient Maya
Diane Davies
9:00 AM
This workshop will discuss how to teach the subject of archaeology in the classroom in reference to the ancient Maya civilization. A general background to archaeology and what archaeologists do will be given, followed by techniques that archaeologists use to aid in the understanding of how the ancient Maya lived.

Mayan Lives in 21st Century Guatemala
Judith Maxwell
1:30 PM
Mayan peoples of Guatemala count their friends on Facebook as well as in base twenty. They carry cellphones, often in handwoven pouches designed for that purpose. They surf the internet, download and upload music, text-message and e-mail. They may commute to work either in urban offices, street markets, or local fields and sweatshops. They may worship in Catholic or Protestant Churches as well as on hillsides. They have recently won the right to give their children Mayan names and to ask that their children be educated, at least partially, in their own languages. Mayan activists have strategically deployed a checklist of essential Mayan traits to argue for their collective and human rights (Mayan cosmovision, Mayan language, Mayan dress). In this session, we will explore this trait list and some “traditional” cultural arenas, situating them within the modern socio-political context.”

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