The Nature of an Ancient Maya City: Resources, Interaction, and Power at Blue Creek, Belize

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This book is only a partial outcome of many years of fieldwork, and there are vastly too many people who deserve thanks for their efforts at Blue Creek for me to scratch the surface. Since 1992, more than a thousand students and volunteers have participated in our program. Project staff members alone number in the dozens. However, there are some very special people who have contributed to this work. The Maya Research Program board members have worked behind the scenes, never getting the credit they deserve for all of their efforts. Past and present MRP board members who have made special contributions include Dr. Grace Bascopé, Bill Collins, Kim Cox, Merri-jo Hillaker, Gene Hogan, Marion Lee, George Marra, Father Charles Miller, Keith Peacock, Jerry Reed, Ambassador Eugene Scassa, and Dee Smith. Staff members who have led fieldwork and completed major reports or graduate work on the project include Dr. Jeff Baker, Dr. Jason Barrett, David Driver, Jerry Ek, Antoine Giacometti,Dr. Helen Haines,Colleen Hanratty,Bob Lichtenstein,Colleen Popson, and Tim Preston. Other colleagues who have aided our work include Mark Aldenderfer, Tim Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Steve Bozarth, David Freidel, Jim Garber, David Glassman, Nikolai Grube, Laura Kosakowsky, Gene Lené, Holly Moyes,Kent Reilly,Bob Ricklis,and Norbert Stanchley.Luis Jaime Castillo provided a safe haven in Chepen, Peru, where a large part of this volume was written. Funding for this project has been provided by the following organizations: The Ahau Foundation (to Jon Lohse and Laura Kosakowsky), American Philosophical Society (to Steve Bozarth), The Arnold Foundation, The Denver Foundation, Estate of Mamie Lambert, Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies , Goldsbury Foundation, Mallory Investments, National Geographic Society (to Tim and Sheryl Beach), National Science Foundation (to Jeff Baker), San Antonio Area Foundation, Sigma Xi (to Jeff Baker), Texas Christian University (Research and Creative Activities Fund),and a number of individuals who prefer to be anonymous . Many thanks go to the project staff members who contributed to the illustrations in this volume. They include Marc Wolfe (Figure 1.4), Mike Lindeman (Figure 1.5), Jason Barrett (Figure 1.6), Bill Collins (Figures 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 2.10, 2.13, 4.5, and 4.6), Jo Mincher (Figure 2.11), Helen Haines (Figure 2.12), Bob Lichtenstein (Figure 2.15), Joe Brown (Figure 3.6), Colleen Hanratty (Figures 4.3 and 4.4), Bill Bowman (Figure 6.1), and Lori Diel (Figure 4.7). Kustom Graphics, Fort Worth, Texas, produced Figures 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.9, 2.14, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.4, and 5.1. Sheridan Productions of Fort Worth produced Figures 2.12 and 4.7. This project would not be possible without the active support and enthusiasm of the contemporary community of Blue Creek (thanks, Marge!) and the Institute of Archaeology of the National Institute of Culture and History of Belize. We owe much to both of these groups of people. Special thanks go to Marion Lee,Alex Pastrana , John Ruff, Bill and Connie Welker, and my wife, Colleen Hanratty. x Acknowledgments The Nature of an Ancient Maya City ...