Another rainless week.

This week was spent doing necessary laboratory work. All of pottery sherds that had been excavated during the 2024 field season were numbered. The ceramic vessels that had been recovered during 2024 also were drawn and catalogued. The small artifacts from 2024 also saw a large percentage drawn, with more to do next week. The 2024 chert was catalogued, but the rest of the 2024 material will need to be catalogued next week. We also caught up on some of the backlog numbering of chert materials that had never been finished because of the COVID pandemic in 2020. All in all, the processing is proceeding nicely and the end is in sight.

We also had some change-overs in the kitchen because of the death and funeral of Linda Meneses, with caused necessary absences and multiple trips in-and-out of Caracol. Things finally got back to normal on Sunday morning. Abner Mendez, who had been serving as the head cook, went out in the same taxi that brought Angie and Guadelupe (Linda’s sisters) back into the site. Four of Abner’s colleagues (Raynaldo, Flavio, Edwin, and Jorge) left Caracol on Saturday, having finished excavation and laboratory tasks (they had been here since late January). Four men (Carlos, Jaime, Saul, and Jerry) remain to help repair, close down, and pack up camp for next season

Also on Saturday, Diane (who was here all week doing laboratory work) went out to Cayo for her upcoming plane flight. She returned to Houston on Sunday.

Morale in camp is quite high as we work to finish processing the materials from 2024.

Onward to the final week.