Dr. Victor Castillo, from the Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of History, received PLN 672,952 as part of the Opus 25 competition of the National Science Centre
Dr. Victor Castillo, from the Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of History, received PLN 672,952 as part of the Opus 25 competition of the National Science Centre for the implementation of a research project titled “Patterns of Intermittent Abandonment and Reoccupation at the Maya Site o Zaculeu, Guatemala (1450-1550 C.E.).”
Through a combination of a geophysical survey and targeted excavation of elite domestic contexts, this project will study processes of settlement abandonment and reoccupation at Zaculeu, a major ceremonial Maya center in the western highlands of Guatemala. Zaculeu has historical evidence of successive episodes of military invasions, abandonment, and repopulation around the time of the Spanish conquest. The archaeological study of this site looks promising for shedding new light on Indigenous practices of abandonment and reconstruction of large ceremonial centers during times of war and conflict.
