Guatemala hosts global archaeologists to elevate archaeology's relevance

Guatemala City is set to host over 100 archaeologists from America, Europe, and Asia for the 39th Symposium of Archaeological Investigations in Guatemala. The event, running from July 20 to 24 at the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, will showcase 107 presentations. Researchers from France, the United States, Slovakia, Japan, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico will discuss recent findings in the Maya lowlands, heritage issues, and conservation challenges posed by urban expansion.

"This symposium, born in 1987, has a very clear conviction to make archaeology a relevant topic in the conversation and not keep it hidden, but share it with people," stated Guatemala's Minister of Culture and Sports, Luis Méndez Salinas. Organizers highlighted the diversity of disciplines, including skeletal and faunal analysis, and studies of ancient trade in materials like lithics and ceramics, contributing to the understanding of the Mesoamerican southeast.

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This symposium, born in 1987, has a very clear conviction to make archaeology a relevant topic in the conversation and not keep it hidden, but share it with people.

Symposium coordinator, archaeologist Bárbara Arroyo, emphasized the exceptional opportunity presented by including recent research from Honduras and El Salvador. "In antiquity, there were no borders, so this is very relevant data for the study of ancient history," Arroyo explained. Notable participants include Nobuyuki Ito, a researcher at the Salvadoran site of Chalchuapa, and American geoarchaeology specialist Sheldon Skaggs, who will contribute to discussions on cultural contacts, iconography, and trade in the region. Epigrapher Markus Eberl and Cameron L. McNeil, leading projects in Guatemala and Honduras respectively, will also present their work.

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In antiquity, there were no borders, so this is very relevant data for the study of ancient history.