The Maya Research Program has permission from the government of Belize to excavate within an area of some 500 acres of the country. MRP’s excavations during the 2011 field season were partly focused on several different elite residences in their permit area, including this structure.
In this photograph, the field crew are standing on what looks to be an unremarkable hump. Called Structure 4C10 or Toucan House, the hump represents the archaeological remains of a house occupied by high ranking individuals of Nojol Nah. Nojol Nah was a Maya city center located 15 kilometers west of the Blue Creek site core (that is to say, Blue Creek's downtown area). The excavations in Nojol Nah began in 2008--and, since then, the archaeologists have learned much about the relationships between elites in the core and out in the hinterlands, and in general, furthered the understanding of the nature of an ancient Maya city.
Before the excavations on Toucan House can begin, most of the brush and vegetation must be cleared away. Note that trees have been left standing; pulling out their root systems can cause additional damage to the site, so they are removed with caution.
