IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This talk will be presented online using Zoom. Registration is required before 3:00 pm on Tuesday, 03 March 2026. Log in information for Zoom will be emailed to those who have registered with their registration confirmation. The session will be recorded and posted to WAPA's YouTube channel within a few days of the event.
Title: Finding ‘Routes to Roots:’ Integrating Archaeology Into the Belizean Pre-Collegiate Curriculum
Abstract: Archaeology is one of the most vivid ways we can connect with our past. In Belize, a country rich in archaeological heritage from the prehispanic Maya through more recent times, school children study archaeology as part of social studies or history in the classroom, but do not often get to experience it.
In this new program, started in 2023 in northwestern Belizean schools, we not only expose students to archaeology, but also integrate it into their classroom activities and learning outcomes, so that it resonates more deeply. We pair onsite visits with in-school activities, both of which teach across the curriculum, combining social studies, science, mathematics, history, geography, and English. We work with local teachers and principals and provide them with ready-made materials that can later be amplified in the classroom. The program uses archaeology to promote student voices, community engagement, and pedagogy, while emphasizing an appreciation for cultural heritage and the importance of stewardship.
Originally funded as part of a National Science Foundation research grant, the program received additional funds for its continuation from the Wenner-Gren Foundation. We are now awaiting further grant decisions to take the final step of working with local teachers and principals to develop a set of Belize-specific archaeological lesson plans. These will then be submitted for approval to Belize’s Ministry of Education and its Institute of Archaeology, so they can be taught across the country.
Speakers: Eleanor King, Norberto Quetzal
Dr. Eleanor King is an archaeologist and educator specializing in the prehispanic Maya. She has researched and lectured on public outreach in archaeology, heritage studies, and illicit trafficking in antiquities. In 2016 she co-founded The Heritage Education Network (THEN), a non-profit aimed at disseminating information about heritage education to practitioners from the multiple disciplines that engage in it. She directs the Maax Na Archaeology Project in northwestern Belize and a few years ago, in collaboration with Mr. Norberto Quetzal, she initiated the wide-ranging school outreach program that is the topic of this evening’s talk. Dr. King is Professor of Anthropology Emerita from Howard University.
Mr. Norberto Quetzal is a Belizean educator with over 10 years of experience teaching Math, Science, and Social Studies. His teaching experience has allowed him to connect students and teachers with Belize’s environment, culture, and heritage through workshops, classroom activities, and real-life applications. He volunteered with and was a member of the Belize Jaguar Project in collaboration with Virginia Tech. He served as a mentor for the Youth Ambassadors cultural exchange program in the United States through World Learning, the U.S. Department of State, and the Love Foundation. In 2021, he was recognized as a “Youth in the Spotlight” by the U.S. Embassy for his contributions. In 2023, he co-authored and launched an archaeology program aligned with the Belize curriculum and he continues to work closely with researchers to deliver archaeological lessons both on-site and in classrooms. In 2025, he presented the program at the KULCHA Symposium sponsored by the Heritage Education Network Belize and co-authored an article with Antonio Beardall on archaeology education in Belize for Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology (vol. 19).
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