Shedding Light on the Maya

We want to provide solar lights to the small village of Pichelito in Guatemala, a village without access to electrical power. Our archaeological project in Guatemala, the Ucanal Archaeology Project, works closely with many of the villagers from Pichelito, a small community whose homes are located on and adjacent to the ancient Maya city of Ucanal. Our archaeological research at the site of Ucanal seeks to shed light on the ways in which the Maya continued to thrive economically, politically, and socially during a time when many prominent Maya sites were being abandoned around AD 800-900. This archaeological research is conducted through the University of Montreal with the support of students from the University of Montreal, Guatemalan archaeologists and students from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and CUDEP, and an archaeologist and students from San Diego Mesa Community College. We work closely with community members from Pichelito who help us excavate and who are curious about the archaeological ruins that are located in their backyards. We would like to help the local community in a basic need they lack: power for lights. As a sustainable solution, we are collecting donations to purchase solar panels that would allow families to run a small number of light bulbs and to charge their cell phones. Any size donation is welcome, although a donation of US$250 or CAN$330 would provide a single family with a simple solar panel system complete with a battery, solar panel, cables, transistor, and 5 LED lights.

Christina Halperin, director, Ucanal Archaeology Project

Carmen Ramos, co-director, Ucanal Archaeology Project