Tomás Barrientos Quezada (Ph.D. Vanderbilt University 2014) has conducted archaeological research throughout Guatemala for the last 30 years. He is currently Chair of the Archaeology Department and Director of the Center for Archaeological and Anthropological Research at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. For 14 years, has been the co-director of La Corona Regional Archaeological Project, conducting investigations in Northwestern Petén, Guatemala. He also worked at the site of Cancuen, in a pioneer project integrating local development of indigenous communities as an integral part of archaeological investigations. His specialties include spatial analysis of architecture, ancient geopolitics, Highland Maya and Pacific Coast archaeology, cultural heritage management, public archaeology, sustainable tourism, cultural astronomy and Prehispanic gastronomy. He has published more than 200 scientific articles and technical reports and has given more than 350 conferences in 13 countries.