The two organizing principles of this book are to synthesize original field
research and recent Preclassic Maya discoveries and to place the early Maya
in the context of the anthropology of past political systems. The primary
archaeological data presented here come from four seasons of field and laboratory research (2008–2011) that I conducted in conjunction with Guatemalan
archaeologists Varinia Matute and Rony Piedrasanta at El Palmar, located
approximately 15 km to the west of the great Maya city of Tikal. The work
at El Palmar formed a part of the El Zotz Archaeological Project (Proyecto
Arqueológico El Zotz – PAEZ), directed by Stephen Houston (Director,
2007–2012) and Thomas Garrison (Co-Director 2009–2012, Director
2012–present), Héctor Escobedo (Co-Director, 2007), Ernesto Arredondo
(Co-Director 2008–2009), Edwin Román (Co-Director, 2009–present), and
Timothy Beach (Director of Paleoenvironmental Studies, 2009–present).