UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Friday, February 24, 1995 5A Dig turns up questions for professor Valerie Crow / KANSAN John Hoopes, assistant professor of anthropology, holds a piece of pre-Mayan pottery. Hoopes recently went to Guatemala to study pre-Mayan ruins. Recent discovery leads news media to KU pottery expert By Virginia Margheim Kansan staff writer When archaeologists discovered bones and pottery in Central America recently, Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times turned to John Hoopes at the University of Kansas for help with their stories. They didn't need him as a source because he had been to Central America. They wanted an expert source, and Hoopes, assistant professor of anthropology, seemed the perfect choice. Hoopes is an expert on old Central- American pottery, and he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the subject. Hoopes concentrates his study on the oldest pottery in Costa Rica. The pottery dates back to about 2,000 B.C., before the Mayan civilization reached its peak, Hoopes said. Hoopes said that his contact with the media was not the norm for archaeologists. "It's not that often that archaeology in Central America makes it into the news," Hoopes said. But Central-American archaeology was thrown into the spotlight in January when a village dating from 1,000 B.C. was discovered in Honduras. The village, dubbed the Cave of the Glowing Skulls, contained many skeletons and pottery. The pottery was some of the oldest in Honduras, so the media turned to Hoopes for an opinion. Hoopes was quoted in the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek articles about the discovery. Hoopes said the name of the site evoked images of Indiana Jones, an association that is common to archaeology. But not all archaeological studies are as exciting as the movies suggest. The Cave of the Glowing Skulls was important because it drew attention to stable non-urban societies, Hoopssaid. Some believe the misconception that only highly civilized Central-American societies, such as the Maya, were able to survive successfully. This discovery dispels that notion, Hoopes said, because it shows that other less-civilized societies also survived. In fact, these societies may have been more stable than the Maya because they did not collapse, as the Maya did. Hoopes said that natives of cities such as the one in Honduras had solved the survival problem, but the Maya did not. Hoopes, who has been at KU for five years, said he had been interested in archaeology since he was in junior high school. Hoopes became interested in Costa Rica as an undergraduate. Although Hoopes studies the past, he finds ties to the present, he said. Pottery is linked to changes in society and the environment, such as deforestation. Wood for fires is required to make pottery because the clay must be baked. Pottery also is related to agricultural activity, which requires land free of forests. Even though deforestation is a serious problem today, it is nothing new. "The impact goes back a long time," Hoopes said. "People have modified their environment since they've been there." Archaeology is an interesting profession because it helps to solve mysteries, Hoopes said. "We're really reconstructing people and societies no one would know about otherwise." he said. Sandra Gray, assistant professor of anthropology, said that Hoopes' enthusiasm for his work showed in his involvement with students. "He really works very hard with the undergraduates," Gray said. "He is always booked up to the hill." STUDENT UNION ACTIVITIES SUA FILMS FRIDAY-SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24-26 INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE FEATURING TOM CRUISE AND BRAID PITT FRIDAY 7:00 & 9:30 PM SATURDAY 7:00 & 9:30 PM SUNDAY 2:00 PM THE VAMPIRE CRUIT CLASSIC THE HUNGER WITH SUJAN SARANDON & DAVID BOWIE FRIDAY MIDNIGHT SATURDAY MIDNIGHT ALI Shows in Wooldport AND TICKETS $2.50. MINIMAGES $3.00. Free with SUA Move Card. Call 864-84-SHOW For More Info $ 35 ADULT Before • Hearing • Delby (20 P.M. - 4 P.M.) *Inspired Street* Time is valuable. Really. The pricelessness our antiques have deserve more than just a glance. We'll give you the time. We'll give you the time. Open 10am-5:30pm everyday. 811 New Hampshire 842-6616 Belt Up In Style! 928 Mass. OFF Your New Look!