Copán Archive and Database Project

Photo Archives

The CRIA Photo archives were the third area of focus on the project. Reyna Flores (IHAH photographer for 20 years), and Janeth Cueva began the process of entering the photo lists from the Proyecto Arqeuológico Copán, Phase I inventory (Figure 3). This was a lengthy process because the written descriptions had to be crosschecked with every contact sheet to insure accuracy. Many photo lists were absent and in some cases they were uncertain of the descriptions. Data had to be searched for in the field notebooks and double-checked by consultation with me or other archaeologists. The Library database was a helpful crossover in this regard for locating where this data could be found. (See example Photo Archive database)

Since March 2001, close to 3,000 rolls (18,300 records) have been entered into the database inventory from the PAC I, II phases and PAAC, with another 3,000+ rolls remaining (Figure 5 and Figure 6). Initially in PAC I and II, sculpture catalogue photos were 35mm images, then starting with the Copán Mosaics Project in 1985, 1:10 Hasselblad B&W images were made for all sculptures as they were catalogued (CPN numbers within the rolls are not numerically organized). The Photo database has a CPN catalogue number field so eventually these rolls can be directly linked with the sculpture database. This will enable researchers not only to identify the sculpture, but also to quickly find the roll number and location of the photo. There was not time during this granting period to scan sculpture images. Hopefully next year the contact sheets might be loaned and processed at a service bureau in bulk. This would require additional funding, yet to be secured. Individual scanning of each negative is time consuming (in an initial attempt at this in Copán, 4,000 images were scanned over the course of five months by one person [personal communication, J. Ahlfeldt, 2001], meaning it would take approximately 30 months for one person to finish the remaining 24,000 images).

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