Maya Highland and Pacific Coast Archaeology: New Data, Debates, and Directions Part 1

Recent archaeological investigations in the Highlands and Pacific Coast of Guatemala and Chiapas, combined with major chronological revisions, are challenging traditional characterizations of this complex region of Mesoamerica and fueling new debates and correlations with neighboring regions. In this symposium, case studies picked from a broad range of sub-regions will serve to highlight this complexity, while also focusing attention on a number of key themes, including: stability and change, inter and intra-regional interaction, and community and ethnic identity. Researchers will discuss the theoretical, methodological, and technical approaches they are using to address these topics and present new data derived from recent analyses of material culture, sculpture, architecture, and settlement patterns. The symposium will serve to update scholars from neighboring areas of Mesoamerica on recent research, and will also stimulate increased communication, collaboration, and data-sharing among current regional and sub-regional specialists.