Archaeologists use screens to sift the soil from architectural features and places of human activity look for artifacts, food remains, and other objects used in the past. In the remote region of San Bartolo-Xultun, we need to make the frames of our screens from materials available in the forest. Watch Jesús and Don Miguel expertly craft a screen as we start a new excavation.

How to make a screen © 2025, Proyecto Regional Arqueológico San Bartolo-Xultun. All rights reserved. Video by Riley Mallory. Filmed on location at San Bartolo, Petén, Guatemala, fieldwork authorized by the Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural y Natural de Guatemala. Featuring Jesús Gualim and Miguel Angel Caal Xo.