PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE IN-PERSON LOCATION FOR THIS MEETING HAS CHANGED (VIRTUAL ACCESS WILL BE AVAILABLE). THE LECTURE WILL TAKE PLACE IN ROOM 101 IN CENTRAL CLASSROOM ON THE AURARIA CAMPUS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN DENVER ON THE CORNER OF CURTIS STREET AND 10TH AVENUE (ONE BUILDING SOUTH OF THE AURARIA LIBRARY/No. 8 ON THE CAMPUS MAP BELOW). PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING.
Google Maps link - https://maps.app.goo.gl/npA72We3gkan6tnR7
Auraria Parking Map link - parking at Holly Lot west of Central Classroom (#8), Nutmeg Lot east of Central Classroom and on the east side of Cherry Creek Classroom building. RTD buses and light rail trains also service Auraria Campus. Colfax at Auraria Station is the closest light rail station to the Central Classroom. RTD service information can be found here - https://www.rtd-denver.com/

Monday, November 11, 2024 General Meeting - 7:00 PM MDT (Hybrid)
Speaker: Nicholas A. Puente, PhD Candidate, University of Colorado-Boulder and Alice Hamilton Scholarship Award Recipient 2023 and 2024
Abstract:
Maya peoples understand caves to be the underworld realm of ancestors and the rain god Chahk. Caves are thus important locations for petitioning rain, necessary for a successful harvest. This presentation explores how ancient Maya peoples at the archaeological site of Punta Laguna in Yucatán, Mexico, engaged with subterranean caves. The Punta Laguna Caves Project was established in 2023 to investigate ancient cave use with three goals: identifying caves within Punta Laguna’s site boundaries, mapping and surface collecting artifacts in caves to identify ancient activity and documenting the relationship between caves and nearby surface architecture. This presentation discusses our initial results which indicate that ancient Maya peoples at Punta Laguna frequently interacted with caves through their modification, removal of cave formations, known as speleothems, and deposition of ceramic offerings. It concludes with a brief discussion of the Punta Laguna Caves Project’s future direction.
Bio:
Nicholas is an anthropological archaeologist that specializes in ancient Mesoamerica, specifically the Maya of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. He has participated in several archaeological excavations across Mexico including the states of Oaxaca and Yucatán. Nicholas holds a BS in Anthropology from Loyola University Chicago and an MA in Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder where he is a PhD candidate.
Nicholas’ dissertation considers how Maya peoples navigated periods of intense and frequent drought, during what is known as the Terminal Classic period “collapse” (900 – 1100 CE), at the archaeological site of Punta Laguna, in Yucatán, Mexico. Specifically, he analyzes how ancient Maya peoples engaged with subterranean spaces. Maya peoples view caves as liminal entryways into the underworld realm. As such, caves were frequently used to engage with deities and ancestors. Nicholas currently works with the Punta Laguna Archaeological Project as the director of the Punta Laguna Caves Project.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
December 9, 2024 – Annual Members Night Potluck and Presentations
January 13, 2025 – General Meeting, Speaker TBA
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