Can you dig it???

by Kyle Christensen
Courier Staff

Ben Thomas, assistant professor of art and archaeology at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, recently gave a two-part lecture at Monmouth College, discussing the history and evolution of the ancient Mayan Empire.

The duo sessions (entitled “In the Shadow of the Sleeping Giant: Discovering Ancient Maya Communities Along the Sibun River” and “From Pulltrouser Swamp to the Sibun River: The Impact of Water on Ancient Maya Communities”) were hosted at the Huff Athletic Center and Stockdale’s Highlander Room on Jan. 14 and 15, respectively.

Based on his own archaeological expeditions through the Meso-American expanse connecting North and South America, Thomas’s primary focus was the locales adjacent to the Sibun River valley. The second largest river in Belize, the Sibun remained unexplored for years due to its annual patterns of intense, volatile flooding.

Thomas, however, was insistent on investigating these lands thoroughly, convinced that they were once an essential source of nourishment, agriculture, and trade dealings. “This is what linked these communities together,” Thomas explained in his presentation. “Without the Sibun River, there would not have been Maya settlements in that area.”

After surveying the grounds meticulously, Thomas and his research team settled upon 22 Maya settlements and 18 caves, which they would assess for their studies.

Interweaving accounts of mythological legendry into his seminars, Thomas narrated several tales of folklore that explained the culture of the territory more insightfully. The mountains, from which the Sibun Rivers initially flow, are said to be the vestige of a slumbering giant, who chose the spot to rest after a long hunting adventure. Additionally, the province’s foreboding caves are often associated with death and despair, as well the dwelling place of the alleged rain god, whereas, according to Thomas, “The opening of a cave was thought of as being the mouth of the earth monster.”

The Mayan villages ranged significantly in their basic layout and configuration. Evident divisions in structuring were observed, including isolated mounds, plaza groupings and linear building arrangements, with three civic districts (known as Hershey, Oshon, and Pakal Na) perceived as regional centers between residencies.

The mystifying caves, in contrast, were the site of countless festive ceremonies, with erected altars and platforms ornamenting the grotto interiors. Containing galleries of displayed ceramic pottery and artwork, these decorative practices were perhaps aimed to appease to the tribes’ holy provider of water, though numerous cooking utensils scattered throughout the cavern suggest probable connections to feasting rituals as well.

The entire journey not only helped Thomas gain a broader outlook on the customs of a society tragically lost to the ravages of time, but molded newfound philosophical perspectives on his direct correlation with the environment surrounding him. As Thomas pensively reflected, upholding the ascertained principles of the Maya civilization, “The landscape influences you as much as you influence the landscape.”