Brett A. Houk , Ph.D. Professor - Archaeology

Areas of Specialization

Maya archaeology, ancient urban planning, the Classic Maya collapse, Mesoamerica, postcolumbian archaeology in Belize

Current Research Interests

I direct the Belize Estates Archaeological Survey Team (BEAST), an interdisciplinary regional project in northwestern Belize investigating a wide range of topics related to the precolumbian Maya occupation of the area as well as the historic resettlement of the region by the San Pedro Maya, British colonialists, and Creole loggers. My current research focuses on using lidar data to locate historic sites that are known from archival documents, investigating Classic-period Maya landscape modifications and hydrological engineering, and reconstructing Classic-period marketplace organization at the major center of Chan Chich, Belize.

Education

Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 1996

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Curriculum Vitae

Biography@ National Geographic Explorer

President's Excellence in Research Professor for 2020–2025.