Arlen F. Chase
Encyclopedia
Arlen F. Chase is a Mesoamerica
n archaeologist and Departmental Chair at the University of Central Florida
, noted for his work on exploring traces of Mayan
civilization using LIDAR
.
, and then worked in the University of Pennsylvania's anthropology department. His fieldwork began with Mesoamerican excavations at Holmul
and Orange Walk
, Belize with the Santa Rita Corozal
project, Belize, followed by excavations at Tikal
, Copan
, Grasshopper Pueblo and Quintana Roo
.
Chase moved to the University of Central Florida in 1984. He helped to transform it into one of the top American universities in the study of the Southern Lowland Maya. He and his wife Dr. Diane Zaino Chase
have together published many peer reviewed articles and books on the subjects of hieroglyphics, settlement patterns, urbanism and ceramic studies of the Maya
.
Since 1984, Chase has conducted many excavations in the Petén region of Belize
. From 1985 he has been Co-director of the Maya urban complex
of Caracol
. Chase developed excavation techniques to explore the history of Caracol from the Preclassic to the Postclassic period of Maya
occupation, to reveal the archaeology while preserving the built structures as part of Belize's cultural heritage.
biologist Dr John Weishampel in the UF and UCF Space Research Initiative to use LiDAR
(Light Detection and Ranging) sensors to detect changes in the rainforest
canopy, reforestation patterns and modifications to archaeological sites. The LiDAR system was installed in an aircraft flown over Caracol
. The system used laser beams that were projected to the ground, bounced back and were recorded. These recordings produced a detailed three dimension map of both the Forest canopy and the ruins of Caracol. The speed and precision of the system was far superior to traditional ground surveys.
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
n archaeologist and Departmental Chair at the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, noted for his work on exploring traces of Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
civilization using LIDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
.
Biography
Chase’s took his BA and PhD in Anthropology at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and then worked in the University of Pennsylvania's anthropology department. His fieldwork began with Mesoamerican excavations at Holmul
Holmul
Holmul may refer to:* Holmul, Guatemala, archaeological site of the Maya civilization* Holmul River in Romania...
and Orange Walk
Orange walk
Orange walks are a series of parades held annually by members of the Orange Order during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth...
, Belize with the Santa Rita Corozal
Santa Rita Corozal
Santa Rita Corozal is a Maya ruin and an archaeological reserve on the outskirts of Corozal, Belize. Historical evidence suggests that it was probably the ancient and important Maya city known as Chetumal.-Early history:...
project, Belize, followed by excavations at Tikal
Tikal
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala...
, Copan
Copán
Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD...
, Grasshopper Pueblo and Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
.
Chase moved to the University of Central Florida in 1984. He helped to transform it into one of the top American universities in the study of the Southern Lowland Maya. He and his wife Dr. Diane Zaino Chase
Diane Zaino Chase
Diane Zaino Chase is an American anthropologist and archaeologist who specializes in the study of the Ancient Maya. She entered her studies at a time when Mayan Archaeology was moving from a past time of the wealthy to a more academic approach. Her husband Dr. Arlen F. Chase, is also an...
have together published many peer reviewed articles and books on the subjects of hieroglyphics, settlement patterns, urbanism and ceramic studies of the Maya
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
.
Since 1984, Chase has conducted many excavations in the Petén region of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
. From 1985 he has been Co-director of the Maya urban complex
Maya city
A Maya city was a centre of population of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. It served the specialised roles of administration, commerce, manufacturing and religion that characterised ancient cities worldwide...
of Caracol
Caracol
Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It is situated approximately 40 kilometres south of Xunantunich and the town of San Ignacio Cayo, and 15 kilometers away from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Plateau at...
. Chase developed excavation techniques to explore the history of Caracol from the Preclassic to the Postclassic period of Maya
Mayan
The adjective Mayan is sometimes used to refer to the indigenous peoples of southeastern Mexico and parts of Central America, such as Guatemala; their culture, language, and history...
occupation, to reveal the archaeology while preserving the built structures as part of Belize's cultural heritage.
Current Research
Chase teamed with University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
biologist Dr John Weishampel in the UF and UCF Space Research Initiative to use LiDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
(Light Detection and Ranging) sensors to detect changes in the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
canopy, reforestation patterns and modifications to archaeological sites. The LiDAR system was installed in an aircraft flown over Caracol
Caracol
Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It is situated approximately 40 kilometres south of Xunantunich and the town of San Ignacio Cayo, and 15 kilometers away from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Plateau at...
. The system used laser beams that were projected to the ground, bounced back and were recorded. These recordings produced a detailed three dimension map of both the Forest canopy and the ruins of Caracol. The speed and precision of the system was far superior to traditional ground surveys.
Honors
- 2006-2008 Member, Board of Governors, State University System of Florida (Chair, Advisory Council of Faculty Senates).
- 2008 The Ben and Trudy Termini Distinguished Anthropologist Lecture, University of Texas, Arlington.
- 2007 Awarded the status of Pegasus Professor, UCF‟s highest faculty honor, for continued excellence inresearch, teaching, and service.
- 2007 Inducted into Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
- 1995–present Co-Beneficiary (with Diane Z. Chase) of the Trevor Colbourn Endowment (University of Central Florida).
- 1991 Samuel Kahn Distinguished Alumnus Award, Robert Louis Stevenson School, Pebble Beach, CA.
Articles
- 2010 Weishampel, John F., Arlen F. Chase, Diane Z. Chase, Jason B. Drake, Ramesh L. Shrestha, K. Clint Slatton,Jaime J. Awe,Jessica Hightower, and James Angelo, “Remote Sensing of Ancient Maya Land Use Features at Caracol, Belize related to Tropical Rainforest Structure,” in S. Campna, M. Forte, and C. Liuzza, Eds., Space,Time, Place: Third International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology, pp. 45–52, British Archaeological Reports S2118, Archaeopress, Oxford, England.
- 2010 "A City Revealed." , Prism, American Society for Engineering Education, September 2010, pg. 21.
- 2010 "Ils l'ont fait Une Cité Maya Cartographiée en Relief" , Science & Vie, Juillet 2010, pg. 13.
- 2008 Arlen F. Chase and Diane Z. Chase, “Methodological Issues in the Archaeological Identification of the Terminal Classic and Postclassic Transition in the Maya Area,” Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology 5:23-36.
- 1985 Arlen F. Chase and Diane Z. Chase, "Postclassic Temporal and Spatial Frames for the Lowland Maya: A Background," in A. Chase and P. Rice, Eds., The Lowland Maya Postclassic, pp. 9–22, University of Texas Press, Austin.
- 1993 John Nobel Wilford, "Mayans had a Middle Class, Too, Emerging Burial Artifacts Indicate.", New York Times, Jan 5. 1993.
- 1989 Epstein, Nadine, "From a Remote Jungle Site, a Trail of Striking Clues." , The Smithsonian, Vol 20(9): pp 99–113.
Referenced Articles
- 2001 Arlen F. Chase and Diane Z. Chase, "Caracol," in W. Fash, Ed., The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures, Vol. 1, pp. 143–145, Oxford University Press.
Peer Reviewed Articles
- 2010 “Status and Power: Fiction and Reality in the Classic Maya World,” 8th Annual Belize Archaeology Symposium, San Ignacio Cayo, Belize (with D.Z. Chase – July).
- 2010 “Airborne LiDAR and Maya Landscape Archaeology: Viewing Status and Power from a Distance,” 8th Annual Belize Archaeology Symposium, San Ignacio Cayo, Belize (D.Z. Chase, A.F. Chase, J. Awe, and J.F. Weishampel – July).
- 2010 “Relationships between LiDAR-Derived Rainforest Canopy Structure and Ancient Maya Land Use Legacies around Caracol, Belize,” 25th Annual Meeting of the U.S. International Association of Landscape Ecology, Athens, Georgia (J.F. Weishampel, J.N. Hightower, J.J. Angelo, A. Matos, A.F. Chase, and D.Z. Chase - April).
- 2009 “Remote Sensing of Ancient Maya Land Use Features at Caracol, Belize Related to Tropical Rainforest Structure,” 3rd International Conference on Remote Sensing, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India (J.F.Weishampel, A.F. Chase, D.Z. Chase, J.B. Drake, R.L. Shrestha, K.C. Slatton, J.J. Awe, J. Hightower,J. Angelo – August).
- 2008 “Elites, Symbolic Production, and Economic Distribution at Caracol, Belize,” 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, Canada (with D.Z. Chase – March).
External links
- http://www.caracol.org/
- http://lidar.cr.usgs.gov/
- http://faculty.sfasu.edu/cecillg/Sites.html
- http://www.nichbelize.org/ia-general/archaeology-of-santa-rita.html
- http://www.bu.edu/holmul/
- http://anthropology.cos.ucf.edu/content/people/viewPerson.html&id=47&group=Faculty