Exploring the Hidden World of the Maritime Maya 2011

Background Information

The essays below will help you to understand the goals and objectives of the mission and provide additional context and information about the places being explored and the science, tools, and technologies being used.

  • Mission Plan

    By Jeffrey B. Glover, PhD

    Aerial map showing a portion of Laguna Holbox where Vista Alegre is located.

    The Maritime Maya Project 2011 is an interdisciplinary exploration project focused on the ancient Maya port site of Vista Alegre.

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  • The Ancient Maya and the Rise of Maritime Trade

    By Dominique Rissolo, Ph.D., RPA

    The Ancient Maya and the Rise of Maritime Trade

    Maya civilization was among the greatest of the ancient New World. Their culture endured across the span of Mesoamerican history – witnessing the rise and fall of Teotihuacan and surviving the spread of the later Aztec Empires.

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  • The Chronology of Vista Alegre

    By Jeffrey B. Glover, PhD

    The Chronology of Vista Alegre

    The preliminary archaeological fieldwork and ceramic analysis conducted by the Proyecto Costa Escondida (PDE) has revealed four major periods of occupation at the site ranging from the Middle Preclassic period (c. 800-400 B.C.) to the Postclassic (A.D. 1100-1521).

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