Belize Cave Project

The Belize Cave Research Project (BCRP) is a regional study of ancient Maya ritual caves located throughout northern, central, and western Belize. This project, funded by the Alphawood Foundation, was co-founded in 2012 with Jaime J. Awe of the University of Northern Arizona. Together, Jaime and I have been investigating ritual caves in Belize for the past 20 years.  

Caves & Darkness

Darkness is fundamental to the human experience, yet it has not been well-studied. Working together, our research group of humanists and scientists seeks to understand the role that darkness plays in human behavior, language, symbolism, and thought. We collectively investigate how darkness influences the way that humans conceive, interpret, and organize their world, rejecting Cartesian notions of mind/body duality in favor of theories of embodied knowledge. 

Las Cuevas Archaeological Reconnaissance

Las Cuevas is an ancient Maya mid-sized site located in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve in western Belize that dates to the later part of the 9th century AD.  On the surface it seems to be typical of many Late Classic Maya centers, but this site has something that others do not—a large cave system that runs directly beneath the main plaza. Las Cuevas consists of two plazas that are situated around a dry cenote (sinkhole).