Public History Day Seven - Campeche and Edzna

On Monday, June 6, the SHSU group ate breakfast at Hotel Francis Drake in Campeche before departing for the Mayan archaeological site of Edzna. Founded around 600 BC, the city reached its apex during the classic period between 600 and 900 AD. With a population of roughly 25,000, Edzna served as a regional trading, political, and religious center. It featured rich farmlands, which were watered by an extensive canal system that radiated out from the center of the settlement. The principal structures at the site included the Grand Acropolis, the Building of Five Levels, and the Temple of the Masks.

During the 1980s, refugees from the Guatemalan civil war worked at the site and helped reconstruct Patio of the Ambassadors.

Following our return to Campeche, the students submitted their journals for review. Several of us then traveled to the downtown square and Walmart (really!) to get supplies for our upcoming trip to the remote area surrounding Calakmul.

For a full photo album click here.