Rio Azul Regional Archaeological Project – Field Program 2026

Location: PPX2+M2 Ikanrio, Guatemala

Season: May 14, 2026 to June 22, 2026

Session Dates: 05/14/2026 - 06/15/2026

Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

Deadline Type: Contact for Details

Website: https://rioazulproject.wixsite.com/rioazulproject

Discount for AIA members: Yes

Program Type:
Field School, Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
The University of Texas at Austin

Project Director:
Carlos Morales-Aguilar

Project Description:

The Río Azul Regional Archaeological Project (RARAP) operates within the vast Mirador–Río Azul National Park in Guatemala, the largest protected tropical forest in northeastern Petén with amazing archaeological traits including monumental architecture, ancient causeways, defensive systems, reservoirs, and dense tropical forest. The region forms part of the Three Rivers Region, a strategic corridor that linked major Preclassic and Classic Maya polities between the Caribbean coast and the Central Lowlands. RARAP is an academic research program authorized by Guatemala’s Instituto de Antropología e Historia (IDAEH) and Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP), in collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin and local partners. RARAP is committed to the documentation, conservation, and preservation of Guatemala’s ancient Maya heritage and its environmental context within one of the most ecologically significant tropical forests in the Americas. The field program offers students an opportunity to participate directly in ongoing scientific research focused on human–environment interactions, landscape archaeology, sociopolitical structure, LiDAR-based settlement analysis, ceramic chronologies, and environmental reconstruction, among others.

Period(s) of Occupation: Maya Culture/Preclassic and Classic periods

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 20 days

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: None

Room and Board Arrangements:
Students stay at the Ixcanrio Archaeology Camp, a remote facility inside the Mirador–Río Azul National Park jointly used by park rangers and archaeological teams. RARAP will provide tents and camping mattresses.