Diggin' for treasures in Guatemala Two Midd kids embark on real life Indiana Jones adventures

Author: Mike Murali

So you might have had an interesting summer, but can you say you accompanied your professor on a trip through time to the ruins of the lost city of Hix Witz or Jaguar Hill outside of Vistahermosa, Guatemala? Or that you lived in a house more primitive than Batell, lacking such amenitie as running water and electricity? Did you trek through the jungle, all for the sake of making major archaeological finds such as stone slabs covered in glyphs, small idols and pottery chards?

"It's literally a 'lost city,' as archaeologists spent about 20 years looking for it before it was rediscovered in 2003," said Visiting Assistant Professor of Archaeology James Fitzsimmons, who took two students on an expedition to Guatemala this summer. "The goal for this summer was to determine whether the rulers of this city (dated to about 650 AD) had created a gallery of hieroglyphic monuments (large, 2-3 meter tall portraits of kings and associated inscriptions) near the royal palace similar to one we discovered in another portion of the city in 2005."

For Jackie Montagne '09, a Classics major, and Ben Grimmnitz '08, a Cultural Anthropology major, the experience was a crash course introduction to the world of field archaeology.

"There is no better way to learn than to go out into the world and simply do it," said Montagne, "and that applied to many aspects of my trip to Guatemala. Archaeology, by nature, is a very 'learn-by-experience' field, and my many hours with a pickaxe and shovel in hand, accompanied by blisters, taught me as much about archaeology as one can learn in one classroom semester."

After all, how many undergrads can say they have discovered a stela ­- a stone or wooden slab typically for commemoration or funerary purposes? Not many get the opportunity to go on a trip such as the one these two Middkids embarked on this summer. But how exactly does one gain this kind of opportunity? According to both Grimmnitz and Montagne, you just ask.

"Nothing came as more of a shock to me…when Ben Grimmnitz, a new friend from archaeology class, buzzed up to me in Proctor and told me that our professor had just gotten funding for his summer project in Guatemala," says Montagne. "Ben said our professor was taking two students from Middlebury, two from UVM, that he was already signed on, and that I too should jump on board. All the issues of funding, time and travel flooded my head, and I started to make excuses for why it just wasn't possible. 'Ask first, think later,' advised Ben, and out of some crazy hope, I e-mailed James Fitzsimmons that afternoon to ask about his project. Later, meeting with him in his office, I blurted out, 'I'm no anthropology major, I don't speak Spanish and I know nothing about archaeological digs, but if you take me, I'll be a model student for the rest of the semester.' Putting complete faith in my crazy enthusiasm, Fitzsimmons said he would be happy to take me on with Ben."

Grimmnitz recounts a similar experience.

"I spoke with Professor Fitzsimmons early in the semester about the possibility of finding a summer field school for archeology," said Grimmnitz. "Although initially he turned me towards some other programs, a grant came through for the project part way through the semester. Professor Fitzsimmons found me after class, asked if I was still interested and then offered me the chance of a life time."

The dig proved to be more than just an archaeological excavation of an ancient Mayan city. In many ways, it was an extension of the classroom. Fitzsimmons described it as an informal class in field techniques, where the students from both Middlebury and UVM "excavated pits, sorted through artifacts, and learned the basics of life in both the jungle (the site) and a rural Guatemalan village (our laboratory)."

"[They] not only [were] exposed to archaeology on a daily basis, but also to the realities of life in a developing country - living in the project house (dirt floor, electricity by generator only at night, running water every other day) and interacted on a daily basis with the inhabitants of Vistahermosa, Guatemala," says Fitzsimmons.

As far as the dig itself was concerned, they made some fairly major discoveries.

"There indeed was a gallery of hieroglyphic monuments there - Jackie and the other students actually found a well-preserved stela (2.5 meters high) bearing the portrait of a king and an intact text on both sides. The text talks about a previously unknown ruler performing a ritual and provides the name of the site in Maya, Hix Witz," says Fitzsimmons. "They also found a second stela fragment, dubbed the Vermont Stela, and a round altar approximately 2 meters in diameter." Montagne also mentioned the smaller, yet no less important findings that were made including "hundreds of chards of pottery…broken rims and sides of painted pots, figurine heads, obsidian blades, and even a huge spear point."

"Finding monuments is not a normal thing for an archaeologist working at a Mayan site," says Montagne. "In four years at Piedras Negras, one of the largest Maya sites in the world, we only recovered two. Jaguar Hill now has 47…This is one of the great things about Jaguar Hill, as it has pyramids, a royal palace and royal tombs…in a relatively small space. Its proximity to a village, and the safety and logistics that the village provides, makes its location ideal for students."

Grimmnitz and Montagne also had the opportunity to explore the site on their own as they descended into a pyramid, making their way by flashlight through the tunnels.

"No matter how many pictures you see of a Mayan royal burial chamber, nothing can prepare you for the moment when you finally step off of the ladder," says Grimmnitz. "This is why I came to Middlebury, our professors really do care. Professor Fitzsimmons went the extra mile to expose us to the meat of archeology."

The professors at The College make new discoveries and journey far and wide, researching the wonders of the world. As students, we are given opportunities to partake in adventures like the one Montagne and Grimmnitz went on this summer. In the end, its up to you to take a chance, and live the dream.

For more information on the Hix Witz excavation, you can either contact Professor Fitzsimmons or view his grant report at http://www.famsi.org.