HEARTLAND OF THE MAYA With Professor Mary Miller March 12 –23, 2007
Dear Yale Traveler: While the Romans were building empires on the other side of the world, an equally fascinating civilization rose and flourished in the jungles of the Americas—the Maya. Over the centuries, the Maya developed religious and political systems that involved complex diplomatic ties and frequent warfare. Maya art, architecture, and urban planning reflect an advanced society. The Maya expressed their political and dynastic concerns in vivid paintings, sculptures, and inscriptions. During the pre-Classic and Classic periods, they established vast territories and constructed great cities that would become the foundation of the ancient New World. By 700 A.D. their dramatic pyramids towered above the rainforest throughout Mesoamerica. One by one, these ancient metropolitan centers were abandoned by the Maya, and today the only inhabitants are troupes of howler monkeys and flocks of tropical birds. Join Professor Mary Miller for an in-depth exploration of Maya art and architecture at pre-Columbian archaeological sites throughout Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, where archaeologists are still uncovering the mysteries of this once vibrant and powerful civilization. In addition to the world-renowned sites of Palenque, Chichén Itzá, Tulum, and Calakmul, we’ll also venture to several sites off the beaten path. Our itinerary includes Yaxchilán, with its impressive carved lintels; the brilliant murals of Bonampak, on which Professor Miller has done extensive research; and the superb yet rarely visited sites of Becan, Chicanná, and Balamku. Professor Miller is an extraordinary lecturer and storyteller whose passion for teaching will enrich our experience. We’ll enjoy privileged access to areas not open to the general public, and meet with local people to learn about the life of the contemporary Maya. There will also be time to enjoy the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. I invite you to explore the temples and tombs, palaces and markets, ball courts and altars of an enigmatic lost world. Join us for a remarkable journey to the Heartland of the Maya. With warm regards from Yale,
Joan Kneeland joan.kneeland@yale.edu
Cover Photo: Chichén Itzá © Inmagine Half Panel Photo: Tulum
Itinerary NEWARK / VILLAHERMOSA Monday, March 12 Depart the U.S. for Villahermosa on the recommended group flight or independently. Upon arrival this evening, transfer to our centrally located hotel. HYATT REGENCY VILLAHERMOSA (MEALS ALOFT)
VILLAHERMOSA / PALENQUE Tuesday, March 13 Join Professor Mary Miller this morning for a welcome orientation and lecture. Depart on a two-hour scenic drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Palenque. After lunch, tour the Palace complex and Temple of the Sun, followed by an optional rainforest walk. Gather this evening for a welcome reception and dinner. HOTEL CHAN KAH (B, L, D)
PALENQUE Wednesday, March 14 Today’s exploration of Palenque begins in the morning, when the air is cool and the temples are shrouded in mist. This stunning site was a Mayan
Keel-billed Toucan
Program Rates (per person) Double occupancy Single occupancy
$6,495 $7,740
Palenque
Air arrangements: Tour rates do not include airfare. Group flights will be offered from Newark to Villahermosa with a return from Cancun; as of May 2006, the cost of round-trip, economy class airfare is $678 per person. This fare is subject to change without notice. Our tour operator, High Country Passage, is happy to assist you in making individual air travel arrangements.
involve one to three miles of walking, often on uneven terrain, rocky paths, or cobblestone sidewalks. At some archaeological sites, stairs are steep and uneven and do not have handrails. The weather may be very warm and, in some sites, humid. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in this program, or would like more specific information, please call High Country Passage at 800-395-3288.
Program Rates Include: • All accommodations, entrance fees, and activities as indicated in the itinerary • 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches, and 9 dinners • Comprehensive program of lectures and excursions • Bottled water throughout program • Gratuities to porters, guides, and drivers for all group activities • Transfers and baggage handling for participants on recommended flight itinerary • Pre-departure information, including packing list, map, and reading list • Services of professional tour manager to assist you throughout the program
Reservations and Payments: Fax the reservation form to the AYA at 203-432-8144 to request space. You can also make an online request on the web page for this program at www.YaleEdTravel.org/maya07. In either case, we will hold your space for one week pending receipt of your deposit. Make your deposit check ($1,000 per person) payable to High Country Passage or supply credit card information and mail it with your Insurance: We strongly recommend the purchase registration form. Final payment is due 120 days prior of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for to departure. coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also Reservation Contact: Joan Kneeland, Assistant recommended. In the event that you must cancel your Director for Education, at 203-432-1952, or participation in a travel program, trip cancellation at joan.kneeland@yale.edu insurance may be the only source of reimbursement. We will send you a brochure from Travel Insurance Cancellations and Refunds: Upon payment of a Services, or you may obtain coverage through a deposit, all reservations are subject to the cancellation company of your choice. provisions set forth below and by which the passenger agrees to be bound. Cancellations for all or any Upon payment of a deposit, tour participants indicate part of the trip shall not be effective until they are acceptance of the above terms and conditions. received in writing and confirmed by the Association of Yale Alumni. Deposits are fully refundable if a Travel arrangements by High Country Passage, written notice of cancellation is received within 500 Third Street, Suite 455, San Francisco, CA 94107. 30 days; after that, they are 100% nonrefundable. Cancellations received 120 days or less prior to departure could result in forfeiture of the full purchase price, contingent upon the amount of recoverable costs from independent providers of services. We strongly urge participants to consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance. Cancellation of tour by the Association of Yale Alumni or our tour operator: full refund. Additionally, passengers are subject to any CST #2070901-40 cancellation fees assessed by the purveyors of services, Printed on recycled paper
Program Rates Do Not Include: • International and U.S.-domestic airfare • Passport fees • Immunization costs • Meals and beverages other than those specified as included • Transfers and baggage handling for those not arriving or departing on recommended flight itinerary • Excess baggage charges • Trip-cancellation/interruption and baggage insurance • Personal items such as email, telephone and fax calls, laundry, alcoholic beverages, and gratuities for nongroup services What to Expect: The level of comfort you can expect on this program is high. Much of the tour involves physical activity and requires that participants be in good physical and mental health. Busy daily programs
including airlines or hotels used in the itinerary. No refunds will be made for any part of this program on which you choose not to participate. Airfares are subject to applicable airline cancellation fees that are in addition to the trip cancellation fees listed above. Itinerary, Program, and Cost Modifications: The itinerary, as contained in this brochure, is subject to modifications and change by Yale Educational Travel and High Country Passage. Every effort will be made to carry out this trip as planned, but alterations may still occur after the final itinerary is sent. Costs, although given in good faith and based on information available upon publication of the brochure, are also subject to change and revision.
Howler monkeys
PALENQUE / BONAMPAK / FRONTERA COROZAL Thursday, March 15 Drive through the rainforest and spend the afternoon at the rarely visited site of Bonampak. Bonampak caused a worldwide sensation more than 60 years
Carving detail, Chichén Itzá
ago when its magnificent polychromed wall paintings (circa 800 A.D.) were uncovered, yielding a wealth of new information about the life of the ancient Maya. Our faculty leader, Mary Miller, has been a frequent visitor to this site in the course of her research and featured it in her acclaimed book, The Murals of Bonampak. She also wrote about the reconstruction of the murals for National Geographic Society Magazine, and she continues to work on the Bonampak Documentation Project. After lunch at the Rio Lacanja restaurant, continue to the hamlet of Frontera Corozal. Enjoy dinner and overnight at the rustic Escudo Jaguar Hotel, perched above Central America’s largest river, the Rio Usumacinta. ESCUDO JAGUAR HOTEL (B, L, D)
FRONTERA COROZAL / YAXCHILAN / PALENQUE
more than 60 carved lintels. Return to Palenque for the night and dinner on your own. HOTEL CHAN KAH (B, L)
PALENQUE / CALAKMUL Saturday, March 17 Today, travel by coach to the lovely Chicanná Ecovillage Resort on the edge of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, which was recently established to protect a vast tract of deciduous rainforest. En route, stop at Balamku, a newly discovered site with extraordinary artwork, including a painted stucco façade. CHICANNÁ ECOVILLAGE RESORT (B, L, D)
CALAKMUL Sunday, March 18
Travel by four-wheel drive vehicles deep into the jungle of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to the Friday, March 16 archaeological site of Calakmul, believed to have been Journey by river to Yaxchilán (“place of green stones”), one of the four regional centers in the Mayan world an ancient city almost completely enclosed by a loop and a leading enemy of Tikal. Comprising an area of of the mighty Usumacinta. During the Classic period, 70 square kilometers, the site is distinguished by three Yaxchilán ranked with Palenque, Tikal, and Copán as large pyramids and at least 106 carved stelae—more one of the leading cultural and political centers of the than any other known site—erected between 500 A.D. central Maya lowland region. Yaxchilán is renowned and 850 A.D. The surrounding forest is alive with for its well-preserved standing architecture, stelae, and birds—Yucatán parrots, Lineated Woodpeckers, Ocellated Turkeys, and Keel-billed Toucans, to name Bonampak mural, reconstruction painting by Heather Hurst with Leonard Ashby © Bonampak Documentation Project
sanctuary of art, religion, and astronomy during the height of the Classic period, between 500 and 700 A.D. Although only 34 of the estimated 500 buildings have been excavated to date, one can easily imagine how the city must have looked at its peak, with its pyramids painted scarlet red. The architecture and sculpture found here are unique in their stylistic beauty and technical perfection. The Temple of Inscriptions, built around 692 A.D., stands over a vaulted chamber where archeologists made the exciting discovery of a rare carved sarcophagus within the pyramid. It contained the remains of a powerful Maya lord known as “Pakal,” who was buried with a mosaic jade death mask and elaborate jewelry of pearls, jade, and conch shell. Visit the Temple of the Foliated Cross and several other buildings that are in partial or final stages of excavation. After lunch, visit the museum and then return to the ruins at leisure, or relax and enjoy the amenities of the hotel. HOTEL CHAN KAH (B, L, D)
Columns, Chichén Itzá
© Inmagine White sands of the Mayan Riviera
just a few—and over 30 varieties of orchids have been identified here. CHICANNÁ ECOVILLAGE RESORT (B, L, D)
CALAKMUL/MAYAN RIVIERA Monday, March 19 After breakfast, investigate three exquisite but seldom-visited Mayan sites: Becan, a pre-Classic city originally surrounded by a wall and moat and featuring a recently discovered ball court; Chicanná, a large ceremonial plaza encircled by buildings in the Chenes style of architecture; and the hillside city of Kohunlich, currently under excavation. Flanking the staircase of the principal pyramid in Kohunlich is an impressive series of six giant, polychrome stucco masks from the pre-Classic period. Continue north to the breathtaking coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Check in to our beachfront resort set on the stunning white sands of the Mayan Riviera, and enjoy the evening at leisure. BARCELÓ MAYA CARIBE BEACH RESORT (B, L, D)
TULUM/MAYAN RIVIERA Tuesday, March 20 This morning, stroll through the splendid ruins of Tulum, the “City of the Dawn,” spectacularly set on
Observatory, Chichén Itzá
a cliff high above the teal-blue Caribbean Sea. Tulum is an excellent example of the very late post-Classic form of compact settlement within fortified walls. Of special interest here are the well-preserved murals depicting the Mayan version of the universe and the afterlife, and the stucco carvings at the Temple of the Descending God. The afternoon is free to explore the Mayan Riviera, where activity options include snorkeling, swimming, tennis, and shopping. BARCELÓ MAYA CARIBE BEACH RESORT (B, L, D)
CHICHÉN ITZÁ Wednesday, March 21 Depart for Chichén Itzá, one of the most magnificent and best-restored archaeological sites in Mexico. This sacred religious capital is believed to have been occupied for nearly 1,000 years, beginning around 600 A.D. The oldest buildings are located in the southern complex: the fascinating astronomical observatory known as El Caracol (“The Giant Conch Shell”), the High Priest’s Tomb (the Ossuary), the Nunnery, and several others. After lunch, the afternoon is at leisure to relax by the pool or return to the site. MAYALAND HOTEL (B, L, D)
CHICHÉN ITZÁ Thursday, March 22 Join an optional, early morning bird walk where you may see typical species such as Turquoise-browed Motmots, Yucatán Jays, Orange Orioles, and more. After breakfast, return to Chichén and admire the precise “time temples,” which were designed according to the Mayan astronomical calendar. In the afternoon, view the famous “serpent illusion,” an awe-inspiring sight that is most clearly visible on the equinox. Venture to the north complex to take in the towering pyramid temple of Kulkulkan (El Castillo) with its inlaid Jaguar Throne; the Tzompantli (skull platform); the Temple of the Warriors and its adjacent colonnades; and the Sacred Cenote, a huge, sunken well where sacrifices of all kinds were thrown in to appease the gods. In addition, tour the market site, the sweat bath, and the largest ball court in the Americas. Gather this evening for a festive farewell dinner. MAYALAND HOTEL (B, L, D)
CHICHÉN ITZÁ / CANCÚN / NEWARK Friday, March 23 This morning transfer to the Cancún airport for flights home. (B; MEALS ALOFT)
Wall carving, Chichén Itzá
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RESERVATION FORM
HEARTLAND OF THE MAYA With Professor Mary Miller March 12 – 23, 2007 TO RESERVE TODAY, fax this reservation form to the AYA at 203-432-8144 or register online at www.YaleEdTravel.org/maya07. We will hold your space for one week, pending receipt of your deposit. Please make deposit check payable to High Country Passage and mail with your registration form to Association of Yale Alumni, Yale Educational Travel, Box 209010, New Haven, CT 06520-9010. Enclosed is my check for $ ($1,000 per person) to reserve place(s) on the Heartland of the Maya program. I/We understand that final payment is due one hundred twenty (120) days prior to departure, on November 12, 2006. No check enclosed. Please charge the deposit to my credit card: [ ] American Express [ ] Discover [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa NUMBER
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HEARTLAND OF THE MAYA With Professor Mary Miller March 12 – 23, 2007
Yale Faculty
Professor Miller is the author of many articles and books, including: Maya Art and Architecture; The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: A Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion (with Karl Taube); The Art of Mesoamerica; The Murals of Bonampak; and The Blood of Kings (with Linda Schele). She also served as the guest curator and catalog co-author for a highly acclaimed national exhibition of Maya art in 2004. Professor Miller directs an ongoing documentation and reconstruction project of the Maya wall paintings at Bonampak, Mexico. She has led several Yale Educational Travel programs and seminars; alumni have always enjoyed her penetrating insights and enthusiastic storytelling.
Courtesy of Mary Miller
Mary E. Miller is the Vincent J. Scully Professor of the History of Art and the Master of Saybrook College. She earned her PhD from Yale in 1981 and joined its faculty in the same year. She has served as chair of both the History of Art Department and the Latin American Studies Department. Her work on the Maya has won national recognition, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, and she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Bonampak mural detail