Photo by Bruce Smith/Editorial Services

Estrada-Belli posing next to his new, jungle-ready pickup donated by Toyota Motor Sales

New wheels for Vanderbilt archeology team

By David F. Salisbury
Published: November 9, 2004

Next summer, when Francisco Estrada-Belli and his students head to their archeological dig deep in the Guatemalan jungle, they will be riding in style. On Nov. 3, the assistant professor of anthropology received the keys to a customized “jungle ready” Tacoma pickup and a Yamaha Rhino two-person all-terrain vehicle at the Special Equipment Market Association trade show in Las Vegas.

The two vehicles were donated to the university by Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) and Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, respectively, along with Off-Road Adventures magazine. The double-cab, 4x4 is customized to make travel through the deep jungle easier and safer, if not more comfortable. According to Toyota, the truck's stock suspension was raised three inches to maximize ground clearance and make room for the special-purpose mud tires needed to navigate treacherous Guatemalan jungle roads. Special teflon-coated wheels keep mud at bay and tubular sidebars and light guards reduce the chances that

Photo by Bruce Smith/Editorial Services
Jungle ready Yamaha Rhino ATV

encounters with limbs, logs, and trees will do major damage. It also features a custom bumper with a 9,500-pound-capacity electric winch, a plethora of off-road lights, communications/ navigation gear, hand tools and other accessories designed to aid driving through the jungle safely and efficiently.

Similarly, the ruggedized Yamaha ATV features full undercarriage armor and skid plates, front and rear bumper, wind deflector and over-fenders to keep the elements at bay, aluminum sun top, a 3,000-pound winch and a set of jungle-ready wheels and tires.

“These vehicles are the very best tools to face the challenging environment of our expedition,” says Estrada- Belli. “They will boost our ability to discover the most remote sites, and in case of an emergency, may well save our lives.”

The donors were attracted to Estrada-Belli by international publicity last spring about his research on the dawn of the Maya civilization at a remote site in Guatemala. The coverage included a segment of a National Geographic television special that showed the archeologist slogging through muddy, jungle roads in a four-wheeled pickup by a different manufacturer. “We're privileged to play a role in this important project, which has more historical significance than anything we've ever been involved with,” says Mark Amstock, TMS national truck and SUV marketing manager. “It's another chapter in the continuing story of Toyota's commitment to science education in America. ”

Estrada-Belli and the editors at Off-Road Adventures magazine named the truck “Maya Hunter” after Hunahpu, a mythical Maya hero. The name also suits its intended use: hunting for clues that will lead to a better understanding of the ancient Mayan civilization. The magazine will be covering the Tacoma's modification buildup in several issues along with reports of its progress on the maiden voyage into the jungles of Guatemala.

Nationalgeographic.com “Masks, Other Finds Suggest Early Maya Flourished

USA Today “Ancient Maya community may have been a city

MSNBC “Lost Maya city rediscovered”

Francisco Estrada Belli's web page

Holmul Archaeological Project website