An Archaeological Study Tour
Guatemala with Copán
February
26 - March 12, 2011
Led
by Professor
William Saturno, Boston University
Guatemala is a land of quetzal birds and jaguars, of volcanoes
and waterfalls, and of still trackless rain forests. Most
of all, Guatemala is a land of history. It was the homeland
of the ancient Maya civilization, whose roots lead back
to sites as early as 2000 BCE, and whose climax during
the Classic period (250-900 CE) brought forth such fabled
sites as Copán, Quiriguá and Tikal. Towering
temple-pyramids of classic Maya sites reach dizzyingly
skyward above the carved stone stelae that proclaim the
glories of kings — whose names echo again through
the halls of history now that the ancient script of the
Maya has been deciphered.
In the 16th century, Spanish Conquistadors crushed Maya
civilization and imposed their own art and symbols. The
horrors of the Inquisition and the exploitation of the
past have dimmed, and we are left with reminders that
there was also beauty in the Spanish Colonial art and
architecture. The serene streets of Antigua, first Spanish
capital of Guatemala, and the colonial churches of Guatemala
City are glimpses of this era.
Although ancient Maya civilization perished, Maya culture
persists in the quiet villages of the Guatemalan mountains,
where old customs and costumes still prevail. In the traditional
villages that nestle at the feet of the volcanoes ringing
Lake Atitlán, and in the bustling market at Chichicastenango,
Maya is still the predominant language and life goes on
in ways that have remained unchanged for centuries.
Saturday, February 26: GUATEMALA CITY: Depart home
city arriving in Guatemala City in the evening. Transfer
to Camino Real Hotel.
Sunday, February 27: GUATEMALA CITY: After an orientation
lecture, we will visit the Museo Nacional de Arqueología
y Etnología, with its immense collection of Maya
treasures. We continue to Kaminaljuyú, one of the
oldest Pre-Classic ceremonial centers in Guatemala. Excavations
here have uncovered beautiful artifacts, which we will
see in the Miraflores Museum. This evening we will meet
for our opening dinner with Professor Saturno.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Monday, February 28: RÍO HONDO: Touring
begins at the Popul Vuh Museum, named for the mythical
history of the Quiché Maya. This museum houses
extraordinary examples of Maya art and ceramics, as well
as fine religious art dating from the 16th to 18th centuries.
We then visit the Museo Ixchel, renowned for its superb
collection of Maya textiles. We then drive northeast from
Guatemala City is through a tropical countryside lush
with banana plantations to Río Hondo to overnight
at the Longarone Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Tuesday, March 1: COPÁN: The morning begins
at the Classic Maya site of Quiriguá, situated
on the banks of the Motagua River. It is noted for its
sculptured monuments, including the tallest known Maya
stelae, and large zoomorphic altars depicting surreal
creatures of the underworld. Crossing the border into
Honduras, we visit Copán, one of the greatest Maya
cities of the Classic period. Copán is particularly
exciting because ongoing archaeological research brings
new discoveries to light each year. Touring includes the
Great Plaza and Hieroglyphic Stairway, silhouetted against
the verdant jungle, as well as the Archaeological Museum.
The lovely garden of the Hotel Marina provides an opportunity
to relax at the end of the day and spot some of the region’s
exotic birds.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Wednesday, March 2: COPÁN: We continue our
touring at the Copán Acropolis and the Sepulturas
section of elite residences. Preparations have been made
for tourists to visit the tunnels, where excavations have
revealed deeply buried and beautifully preserved architecture
from the early periods.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Thursday, March 3: ANTIGUA: We recross the border
into Guatemala and drive to Antigua, resplendent in its
17th- and 18th-century architecture. Our two nights in
this lovely town will be spent at the charming Hotel Casa
Santo Domingo, set amid the ruins of a 17th-century monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Friday, March 4: ANTIGUA: Today’s touring
takes us to the colonial sites of Antigua, including visits
to the church and monastery of San Francisco, the Plaza
de Armas and the the church of La Merced. We will also
visit the small museum housed in our hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Saturday, March 5: PANAJACHEL: This
morning we drive to Lake Atitlán. The afternoon
will be at leisure to take a boat trip on the lake or
explore the hotels famous gardens, which include more
than 50 varieties of hibiscus, a rose garden, English
style knot gardens, a tropical heliconia garden, a wedding
garden, a coffee garden and a variety of orchids. Hotel
Atitlán.
Meals:
Breakfast & Lunch
Sunday, March 6: GUATEMALA CITY: A beautiful drive
through the mountain and native villages brings us to
Chichicastenango. Indians from the surrounding villages
come to Chichicastenango’s colorful Sunday market
to trade their produce and handicrafts. We will also witness
a strange combination of Maya and Catholic rites as the
local Indians burn incense and present offerings to their
Maya gods outside the church, and then perform Catholic
rituals inside. After free time to explore this very colorful
market, we return to Guatemala City and the Camino Real
Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Monday,
Tuesday, March 7 & 8: TIKAL/FLORES: This morning
an early flight brings us to Flores. The remainder of
the day will be spent exploring the magnificent ancient
city of Tikal. One of the largest Maya cities, Tikal has
been under excavation and reconstruction since 1950. Still
only a small portion of the city, which may have covered
40 square miles, has been explored. Our two-day visit
will include steep pyramids, palaces, ball courts, huge
plazas, temples, shrines and paved causeways. The finds
from these vast excavations are housed in two museums
we will visit. There will also be time to explore the
site on our own. Our hotel for the next four nights is
the lovely Camino Real Tikal.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Wednesday, March 9: TIKAL/FLORES: Our touring today
will take us on an unpaved road into the dense jungle
to Uaxactún. This Pre-Classic city, dating to 600
BCE, struggled with Tikal for political and military supremacy
until, aided by Teotihuacán, it was finally conquered
by Tikal in 378 CE.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Thursday, March 10: TIKAL/FLORES: Today we drive
to the Río de la Pasión for a beautiful
boat trip through the jungle to the site of Seibal, which
is perched on a high bluff overlooking the river. We make
our way through the vegetation to the site, where we will
see a rare circular temple as well as several restored
temples and intricately carved stelae. We will retrace
our journey back to the Camino Real Tikal in time for
our farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Friday,
March 11: GUATEMALA CITY: After a final visit to Tikal,
we board an afternoon flight back to Guatemala City.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Saturday, March 12: Transfer to the airport for
our flights to the United States.
Meals: Breakfast
