Two Craft Academy students had the experience of a lifetime
this summer as they traveled to Mexico to assist an MSU professor with his
research.
The students, Madison Cissell and Rebekah Vermillion,
traveled to the ancient Mayan city of Mayapán with Dr. Timothy Hare, professor
of anthropology. Cissell and Vermillion are Undergraduate Research Fellows and
worked side-by-side with Hare on his research.
Hare’s team used unmanned aerial vehicles (also called
drones) to map and create 3-D models of the ruins, which are to be destroyed
this fall for construction of a highway. He said using drones allows
archaeologists to map larger areas more accurately in a shorter amount of time
than other methods of mapping.
Vermillion said the trip taught her a lot about both Mayan
Culture and the science of archeology.
“I really enjoyed learning about what archeologists really
do and what life was like in the ancient Mayan world. Dr. Hare was great with
explaining all of the archeological sites and where the structures were and
what was most likely happening at the sites,” she said. “This was the most
insightful and inspiring trip. I learned so much about the culture and life
there in Mexico.”
Hare added, “Our goal for this summer was to record ancient
settlement and environmental data from the areas to be destroyed and contribute
to a long-term research program that focuses on reconstructing regional-scale
settlement patterns, diverse economic activities, resource use and corresponding
landscape modifications.”
Hare said this type of research is significant because of
the role Mayapán played in ancient Mayan culture.
“Mayapán was the largest ancient Mayan political capital of
the Postclassic Period,” he said. “It exceeded the size of all other lowland
towns or cities in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico by an order of magnitude. It
was a key center of political, religious and economic activity around A.D.
1100–1450.”
Cissell and Vermillion assisted Hare with the maintenance
and operation of the drones and other equipment, mission planning, photo organization
and data processing. Currently, the two are working with two other Craft
Academy students and Undergraduate Research Fellows, Michael Groathaus and
Zebulon Hart, to create the archaeological site maps and 3-D models.
Hare and his research fellows will present their research at
the annual conference of the Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals in
October and the Society for American Archaeology next spring. He said his team also
will write a series of papers on their research and has plans to return to
Mayapán to continue his research next summer.
For more information:
·
Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and
Mathematics, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/craft-academy.
·
The Department of Sociology, Social Work and
Criminology, visit http://www.moreheadstate.edu/sswc.
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