Please join us

for the keynote presentation by

Heather McKillop

Discoveries, Challenges, and Innovations at the Paynes Creek Salt Works, Belize, 2004-2026

Abstract. Twenty years of research at the Paynes Creek Salt Works provided stunning new evidence on the economy and lives of the ancient coastal Maya, created challenges in working at shallow underwater sites and conservation of salt waterlogged material, and developed new ways to investigate and communicate the findings. We discuss how we addressed challenges and the finds. The 2004 discovery of wooden building posts preserved below the sea floor required innovative methods to discover and map. We adapted methods from terrestrial and underwater archaeology to address challenges of working in shallow underwater sites. Teams snorkeled on Research Flotation Devices (RFDs) to locate and map posts and artifacts. We developed a pulley system to move excavated material in floats to off-site screening stations. We desalinated material and used 3D digital imaging to preserve and record salt waterlogged pottery and wood. Was all the effort worthwhile? Unexpected discoveries of 4042 wooden posts that formed the outlines of pole and thatch residences, salt kitchens, and other structures were previously unknown in the Maya area. The only ancient Maya wooden canoe paddle radiocarbon dated to the Late Classic (conserved and stored in the Museum of Belize) is the only direct evidence of canoe travel by the Classic Maya. Years of discovery, mapping, and excavation revealed community specialization in surplus household salt production by resident workers, with dedicated salt kitchens. Use of 3D technology to record and 3D printed replicas for displays in Belize expand communication to academic and public audiences in Belize and beyond.

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