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Maya at the Playa

American Foreign Academic Research and The Archaeological Institute of America

September 30 - October 3, 2010

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American Foreign Academic Research and The Archaeological Institute of America are very proud to present the 4th Annual Maya at the Playa Conference. Over the last three years, we have had the great privilege to provides Maya archaeology and culture specialists the opportunity to share their ongoing research in a low-key symposia format with offerings for professionals and the general public. The conference structure encourages active participation, open discussion, and a high level of interaction amongst participants and attendees.  Workshops, discussions, and performances are provided by an international group of Maya specialists known for the quality of their research and their commitment to public education and outreach. Participants ranging from archaeologists to folklorists are afforded the unique opportunity to re-contextualize their research within a larger context of Maya studies, at the same time creating public access to rigorous scientific and specialist data.  

The conference is sited in beautiful Palm Coast, Florida, and is located near a variety of seaside parks, preserves, and historical and archaeological sites.  Airports are located nearby in the Cities of Daytona, Orlando, and Jacksonville, while our nation‘s longest occupied City, St. Augustine, is only 25 miles away.

Come enjoy hands-on workshops, engaging discussions, traditional Maya stories and cuisine, all in a relaxed format befitting the conference’s seaside venue!  We look forward to seeing you there.

This year’s event will offer the same great content as the previous three conferences but we have increased the number of offerings and brought even more professionals to the table. We will be honoring Dr. Michael D. Coe with the second ever Maya at the Playa Lifetime Achievement Award and he will deliver the keynote lecture Angkor and Maya: A Tale of Two Civilizations on Saturday, October 2. You will recognize many familiar faces and the talents of Marc Zender, George Stuart, and many others have been added to this year’s lineup. We have also created a breakout session for graduate students currently working in the field of Maya archaeology. This session will give these young scholars an opportunity to share their work with each other, the public, and some of our more experienced presenters.

Anyone who has attended the Maya at the Playa Conference will tell you that the academic offerings are just a part of what makes this four-day weekend so special. Much of the excitement over the course of the conference can be found at the nightly social events and artistic performances, which are open to all ticket holders. These informal events allow further discussion outside of a workshop or lecture setting. Among the most popular events is the contemporary Maya feast which is prepared by Patricio Balona. Seats for this fundraising dinner can be purchased during ticket registration. There will be a beach party following the Maya feast and all procedes from the event will go to student archaeology field school scholarships.

Be sure to buy Mark Van Stone’s new release on 2012 and read it on your way to the conference! Click on the book above for details.

This year, our presenters will take over the Hilton Garden Inn which is the closest hotel to the venue. The Hilton Garden Inn will be offering a block of rooms at special discounted rates to those interested in joining us. Click here to reserve now. We would also like to extend an invitation for all of those guests of the Hilton to join us for all of our evening meals and social events. In addition to the Contemporary Maya Feast, we will be hosting a Welcome Luau on Thursday evening, the Lifetime Achievement Dinner and Reception on Saturday evening, and the Closing Dinner on Sunday evening. Seating for these events is extremely limited so please contact us as soon as possible to secure your space. 

Click on the Participants tab above to see the complete list of presenters. Many of the conference offerings can been viewed by clicking the “program” tab above and the complete conference schedule, lecture and workshop abstracts, and full bios will be available by August 1. Continue to check the website for updates.