This is a typical plan and profile map of Toucan House, drawn by William T. Brown and representing the final construction phase: the layout of the house just before its abandonment. The map includes cross-sections of the walls and highlights construction elements, such as multiple plaster floors and benches. The map records much information that will be of use to scholars who are not involved in this dig, but work on elite residences and cities elsewhere.
Blue Creek and Digital Mapping
In addition to typical maps, the excavated buildings at the Maya Research Program's Blue Creek project are being documented in three dimensional maps by the Center for Heritage Conservation (CHC), a research center located at Texas A&M University. CHC has been working with the Maya Research Program since 2009. The research team, led by director Bob Warden, is testing a variety of techniques to find an appropriate method to document excavations and the artifacts and architecture which have been revealed.
CHC has used photogrammetry, laser scanners and a hand-held structured light scanner to produce detailed, accurate 3D digital models and drawings of the residences, temples, burials, caches, and underground chultuns which have been found throughout Blue Creek.
Digital maps are very large, dense images, and ultimately proved unsuitable for this presentation.
More Information about the CHC
Blue Creek Project, Center for Heritage Conservation.
Anonymous. 2009. CHC Documentation Technologies to Assist Maya Research Program. Heritage Matters (newsletter of the Center for Heritage Conservation), Winter 2009:5.
