Monday, March 5

In class today, we finished a discussion of ceramics that illustrate segments of the maize regeneration cycle and then went on to discuss the huge and intricate censer stands found in the Cross Group at Palenque, the architecture and sculpture of which will be the subject of tomorrow’s lecture. After the break, we began an introduction to Maya calendar and hieroglyphic writing, which will be spread out over several after-break periods so that the material can be more easily assimilated.

In the evening, we had a large after-dinner meeting of the whole group to discuss many pressing topics. Rita began the program by handing out the syllabus for the two Spanish courses next term and discussing it with students. We then talked briefly about plans for Wednesday’s day trip to Tonina. I reported on a positive response from Allen Christenson concerning the feasibility of witnessing the climax of Semana Santa rituals in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. About three quarters of the group expressed interest in going, and I agreed to investigate hotel prices and availability for tomorrow.

The main item on the agenda was the field trip from March 14 to 26. We went through a day by day (almost hour by hour) itinerary in the trip. We talked about things to bring, like passports, cotton clothing, bathing suits etc. Rita and I explained to the group that as each hotel has a different constellation of doubles, triples, etc., that we would leave it to students to organize their sleeping arrangements at each place. We suggested that a committee be struck for this purpose, but several students argued that they were fully capable of managing this efficiently without a committee.

I ended the meeting with a survey of the murals of Bonampak. We will be seeing these on the second day of the trip, but as the space within each room only admits a handful of people, it will be impossible to “lecture” on the murals at the site. So I went through them room by room. Students will also have a two day advance on a posting of the Bonampak lecture file if they choose to review it before leaving.