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MEET THE TEAM

Here you’ll meet the people whose passion, curiosity, and commitment make this project possible. Behind every discovery at the Río Azul Regional Archaeological Project is a dedicated team of researchers, students, and collaborators who bring together expertise from archaeology, geography, environmental science, and remote sensing. Our work thrives on collaboration, both in the field and in the lab, as we uncover new insights into ancient sociopolitical organization, Maya landscapes and human–environment interactions. And yes, this is the same team that can hike for hours, analyze a thousand sherds, argue passionately about soil layers, and still find the energy to laugh when the howler monkeys scream directly into their souls. In short: dedicated professionals, slightly sleep-deprived scientists, and proud survivors of the Mirador-Rio Azul National Park jungle.

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The University of Texas at Austin

Archaeologist and geospatial researcher specialized in LiDAR remote sensing. When he is not mapping Maya landscapes, he's probably headbanging to metal, chasing a soccer ball, or chasing good food (sometimes both at once). Carlos spends half his year discovering ancient Maya settlements and the other half discovering where Fabian (his kid) left his water bottle. His idea of a perfect day includes exploring “unexplored areas” with his kiddo, a killer guitar riff echoing through the camp, and coffee strong enough to revive an entire field crew. Between the mud, the maps, and the music, Carlos lives by a simple creed: archaeology all the time, metal all day. 🤘

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Advisor, Professor in Anthropology

The University of Texas at Austin

An archaeologist and specialist in Maya ceramics, lithics, and excavations. Former Field Director of Dr. Richard Adams’s project at Río Azul and Director of the Bajo Azucar Archaeological Project in the 2000's, he now serves as an advisor to the RARAP. With decades of field experience, Fred has probably excavated more square meters, and told more field stories, than most archaeologists combined.

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Geologist

GeoMaya Research Initiative

Geologist specializing in the structural and geomorphological history of northern Petén. His work integrates geological mapping, karst analysis, and sediment studies that complement the project’s archaeological and environmental research. Dr. Ross Ensley studies rocks, landscapes, and everything that refuses to move, except when it’s a landslide.

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Archaeologist

Dr. Marie Ramelet

Centro de Estudios Mayas, IIFL-UNAM & CEMCA

An archaeologist excavating the Acropolis of Río Azul and unraveling the ancient world one thread at a time. Specializing in ancient textiles, she weaves together archaeology, art, and science, literally. Her research explores how fibers, dyes, and weaving techniques reveal stories of identity, exchange, and craftsmanship among the ancient Maya elite. In the field, Marie is known for her patience and precision, especially when the “textile layer” turns out to be, once again, just roots. In the lab, she turns fragments of ancient fabric into narratives of creativity and resilience, using microscopic analysis and experimental reconstruction to revive lost techniques. For Marie, every thread is a trace of human ingenuity, and every excavation day is one step closer to reweaving the stories time tried to unravel.

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Archaeologist & Ph.D. Candidate

Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne & Laboratoire ArchAm UMR8096

An archaeologist focused on architecture and stratigraphy, especially in the Rio Bec style influence in Northern Peten, with a keen eye for photography. His fieldwork and photos alike reveal new perspectives on the ancient Maya world.

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Ph.D. Candidate in Geography

The University of Texas at Austin

Chris Ploetz is a PhD candidate in Geography with a passion for human–environment interactions and an unusual willingness to find out exactly how deep things are. His research at Dos Lagunas has included bathymetric mapping, exploring the submerged dimensions of a landscape where archaeology, hydrology, and geomorphology come together. When he’s not measuring the bottom of a Maya lake, Chris investigates how people and environments have shaped one another through time—because apparently studying only the parts of the landscape above water wasn’t complicated enough.

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Bioarchaeologist & Ph.D. Student in Anthropology

The University of Texas at Austin

A bioarchaeologist who brings ancient bones back to life, scientifically, of course. Her research explores health, diet, and mobility among ancient Maya populations in the Three Rivers Region. A natural storyteller, she can turn a single tooth into a three-chapter saga, complete with morbidity, plot twists, and at least one joke that makes people question her search history. Cristina brings precision, passion, and a perfectly dark sense of humor to everything she does, because nothing says “I love my job” like laughing while studying skeletons in the jungle.

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Ph.D. Candidate in Geography

The University of Texas at Austin

A geoarchaeologist and GIS specialist who studies ancient Maya water management systems. His research explores how past landscapes flowed with both water and ingenuity, and how modern field archaeologists keep testing that relationship every time it rains. He combines LiDAR analysis, mapping, and excavation to investigate how these hydraulic systems shaped both ancient life and the environment. Between pedestrian surveys and muddy trenches, he insists with a grin, “It’s all part of the workflow.”

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Ceramicist & Archaeologist

Licda. Ixmucané Choy

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

Ixmu studies the ceramic sequence of the Río Azul region, turning vessels into timelines and fragments into data. Her research focuses on ceramic typology, production techniques, and regional interaction patterns, helping refine the chronology of settlements across northeastern Petén. A proud Kaqchikel speaker, Ixmu brings an Indigenous perspective and deep cultural understanding to her archaeological work. Whether she’s in the lab sorting sherds by paste and polish or in the field under pouring rain, she has a sixth sense for spotting diagnostic rims from twenty meters away. Some say it’s training, others call it her archaeological superpower.

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Undergraduate Student in Archaeology

Eduardo Alvarez

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

An undergraduate student at the University of San Carlos, Guatemala, currently writing his Licenciatura thesis on LiDAR-based mapping at Río Azul. Passionate about Landscape Archaeology and GIS, he’s proving that ancient Maya cities had better spatial planning than most modern ones.

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Undergraduate Student in Archaeology

Dilma López

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

An undergraduate archaeologist, who splits her time between digging, conserving, and trying to keep the artifacts cleaner than the archaeologists. She’s excavating a workshop of chert and flint production near Río Azul as part of her Licenciatura degree, because someone has to prove that stone tools are the original multitasking technology.

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Undergraduate Student in Archaeology

Salvador Velásquez

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

Known to all as "El Primo", he’s an archaeology student studying the Río Azul-Kehnah causeway as part of his Licenciatura thesis. When he’s not mapping and excavating ancient roads in the jungle, he’s the undisputed master of knots, logistics, and field morale, capable of securing a tarp, a water tank, or an entire excavation unit with the same precision. Armed with a tiny machete, a sense of humor, and an endless playlist of metal riffs, El Primo keeps the team moving,  literally. Whether he’s coordinating supplies, deciphering the next trail, or turning camp into an improvised rock arena, he proves that archaeology can be equal parts science, sweat, and headbanging. Archaeology never rocked harder!

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Undergraduate Student in Archaeology

Jesús Recinos

Universidad del Valle de Guatemala

An archaeology student, currently developing his Licenciatura thesis on the use of drones in archaeological research across the Maya area, including Río Azul. A specialist in photogrammetry and an unapologetic coffee addict, he can map an entire site before most people finish their first cup. Known in camp as the “hooligan barista,” Jesús believes espresso is a research method, and honestly, he might be right.

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Volunteer

Fabian Morales E.

AustinISD

Fearless explorer, smart kid, and multilingual mastermind (he switches languages faster than most adults switch TV channels). When he’s not scoring goals or building entire universes in Minecraft, Fabian is out discovering new trails, new creatures, and new snacks. Known for his killer right foot, his love for Guatemala, and his ability to eat pain au chocolat at world-record speed. Armed with curiosity, a big brain, and an even bigger heart, Fabian is the kind of adventurer who turns every day into a discovery, with better soccer skills and way cooler hair than anyone his age.

COLLABORATORS, ADVISORS AND SHORT-TERM RESEARCHERS
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  1. Verónica Ajxup, Undergraduate Student in Archaeology (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala). 2022-2023.

  2. Dr. Tim Beach, Geographer & Geoarchaeologist (The University of Texas at Austin). 2022-present

  3. Wendy Bellia, Graduate Student in Archaeology, (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France). 2022.

  4. Henry Bielenberg, Graduate Student in Anthropology, (University of Wisconsin, Madison). 2026-present.

  5. Natalie Bruno, Ph.D. Student in Anthropology (Vanderbilt University). 2023, 2025-2026.

  6. Licda. Tanya CaríasArchaeologist (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala). 2024.

  7. Bladimir Cojón, Undergraduate Student in Archaeology (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala). 2025-present

  8. Elsa Cotom, Conservation and Restoration Specialist (University of San Carlos de Guatemala). 2022.

  9. Lic. Julio Cotom, Archaeologist & Malacologist (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle). 2022-present

  10. Ixkotzij Esquit, Undergraduate Student in Archaeology (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala). 2024-present

  11. Dr. Thomas G. Garrison, Archaeologist, Head of the Llama Lab and Advisor (The University of Texas at Austin). 2022-present

  12. Emily Johnson, Ph.D. Student in Anthropology (University of California, Santa Barbara). 2023.

  13.  Renato JuárezUndergraduate Student in Archaeology (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala). 2025-present

  14. Dr. Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Geographer and Advisor (The University of Texas at Austin). 2022-present

  15. Josué Murillo, Cartographer (Rio Azul Regional Archaeological Project). 2022.

  16. Enrique Pérez Zambrano, Undergraduate Student in Archaeology (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala). 2022-2023.

  17. Dr. Divina Perla Barrera, Ceramicist & Archaeologist (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France). 2022-present

  18. Licda. Pamela Rosales, Archaeologist (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala). 2023-2025.

  19. Jamie RuleUndergraduate Student in Geography (The University of Texas at Austin). 2022-2023.

  20. Dr. Daniel Salazar Lama, Iconographer & Art Historian (Laboratoire ArchAm UMR8096, France). 2022-present

  21. Dr. Ashley Sharpe, Archaeozoologist (Smithsonian Institution). 2022-present

  22. Dr. Ivan Šprajc, Archaeoastronomer (ZRZ-Sazu, Slovenia). 2024-present

  23. Dr. David Stuart, Epigrapher and Advisor (The University of Texas at Austin). 2022-present

  24. Dr. Elodie Treffel, Archaeologist (CEMCA-AC). 2024.

  25. Licda. Lilian Vega de Zea, Conservation and Restoration Specialist (University of San Carlos, Guatemala). 2022-present

  26. Lic. Fernando Véliz, Archaeologist & Ph.D. Student in Geography (The University of Texas at Austin). 2022-2024

  27. Abel WorkuUndergraduate Student (The University of Texas at Austin). 2026.​

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