Program Overview
Study political science and anthropology on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, known for its blend of Mexican and Mayan history and culture. This program offers a unique opportunity for students to visit a number of ancient archaeological sites under the tutelage of a practicing archaeologist, and to learn about the lives of the people who once lived there as well as those who live there now. Students will spend the first half of the program in the modern colonial city of Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, living with host families. They will send spend several days in the city of Valladolid, the site of important historical events in the nineteenth century. The group will then move to the more remote Rancho Kiuic, an archaeological site and biocultural reserve, for the remainder of the program. There students will have the opportunity to see an ongoing archaeological project, to interact with the local people and engage in service learning, and to observe contemporary horticultural practices.
Visiting and studying in the Yucatan gives students the opportunity to
understand the connections between today and ancient times, the impact of the
Spanish conquest, and contemporary Mayan urban and rural life and its
links to the United States. Courses focus on Mayan archaeology and contemporary Mayan life, as well as the politics and culture of
the Yucatan peninsula.
The group will take advantage of the richness of ancient Mayan culture found on the Yucatan peninsula by visiting such archaeological ruins as Uxmal, Koba, Chichen Itza, Labna, Dzibilchaltun, and Tulum. Other excursions include visits to Merida’s Museum of Anthropology, several local monuments and churches, and smaller museums that display artifacts concerning important historical events throughout the Yucatan. Additionally, the students will see several sites of local production, haciendas, and a small village school where children learn the Maya language.
Although Spanish is not a requirement for this program, students may
expect to have acquired some language skills in both Spanish and Maya by
the end of the program as a result of their contact with local people.
The students will be housed in pairs with families in Merida. In other locations the group will be housed in hotels. The program fee covers all meals.
Whether you’re interested in anthropology, political science, or the issues surrounding indigenous peoples, the Summer Session in Mexico is your chance to learn firsthand about a rich culture as it was centuries ago, and as it exists today.
UD students pay all program fee deposits by direct bank transfer via this website: http://www.udel.edu/studyabroadpayments. Non-UD students should send a check, payable to the University of Delaware, to CFIS, Elliott Hall, 26 East Main Street, Newark, DE 19716. Credit card payments are not accepted.
