MAYA 2012: Lords of Time

Watch this video for an extended introduction to the landmark Penn Museum exhibit "Maya 2012: Lords of Time" by exhibit developers, Kevin Schott and Allie Francies, and curator, Simon Martin.

4000 years of Maya history in 25 feet? See it to believe it.

The Lienzo de Quauhquechollan is an eight foot wide narrative-oriented "map" that tells the story of the 16th century conquest of Maya land by the Quauhquechollan and Spanish conquistadores. A replica of the Lienzo is a highlight of the Maya.2012 exhibit. Get a sneak peek of the highly detailed canvas mural with exhibit developer Kevin Schott.

Dr. Loa Traxler explains the ancient Maya's ritual of human sacrifice and blood-letting and how contemporary media has skewed our perception of a ritual common across many ancient cultures.

Cameron McNeil from the City University of New York presents "Using Pollen Analysis to Recover the Pattern of Ancient Land Management at Copan, Honduras" at the Penn Museum's 29th Annual Maya Weekend, "The Ancient Maya in the 21st Century: Advances in Analysis and Presenting the Past."

Katherine A. Miller from Arizona State University presents "Voices from Ancient Maya Skeletons: Advances in Analyzing Death, the Body, and Burial" at the Penn Museum's 29th Annual Maya Weekend, "The Ancient Maya in the 21st Century: Advances in Analysis and Presenting the Past."

Maya Weekend 2011 explored the advances in fields of scientific analysis and visual presentation of ancient Maya culture. Specialists in 3-dimensional modeling of architecture and remote sensing joined archaeologists focused on the close study of materials and physical remains from ancient kingdoms of the Classic Maya.

Maya Weekend 2011 explored the advances in fields of scientific analysis and visual presentation of ancient Maya culture. Specialists in 3-dimensional modeling of architecture and remote sensing joined archaeologists focused on the close study of materials and physical remains from ancient kingdoms of the Classic Maya.

Maya Weekend 2011 explored the advances in fields of scientific analysis and visual presentation of ancient Maya culture. Specialists in 3-dimensional modeling of architecture and remote sensing joined archaeologists focused on the close study of materials and physical remains from ancient kingdoms of the Classic Maya.

Karen Bassie-Sweet from the University of Calgary, presents a talk, "Maya Goddesses." Penn Museum's Maya Weekend is one of the largest and oldest meetings in the United States devoted to Maya studies. 2010 brings together international scholars, speakers of Mayan descent, weavers, conservationists, and others actively involved with traditional Maya communities within Central America, for an engaging look at the daily life of Maya women, and their roles in religion, politics, and the community.

University of Pennsylvania's doctoral student in the anthropology department Sarah Kurnick gives the paper "Women in Stone: Understanding Classic Period Maya Female Ajaws." She is studying Maya archaeology and is currently conducting dissertation research in the Mopan Valley of Belize. She has also done field work along the Pacific coast of Guatemala and in Yucatán, Mexico. The Classic period Maya created a number of monuments depicting politically powerful women. Notably, a handful of these monuments depict not just politically powerful women, but female ajaws, or female divine rulers. Her presentation took a closer look at the Classic period Maya female ajaws and their representations on monuments – topics that have attracted the attention of only a few archaeologists. In particular, it considered how the female ajaws acquired their authority; how they transferred their authority to their successors; and how they chose to portray themselves on monuments as a means of maintaining their authority during their reigns.

Jerry Sabloff, University of Pennsylvania Professor, presents "Interaction in the Ancient Maya World Perspectives from the Late Pre-Classic and Late Post-Classic Periods". Penn Museum's Maya Weekend is one of the largest and oldest meetings in the United States devoted to Maya studies. 2010 brings together international scholars, speakers of Mayan descent, weavers, conservationists, and others actively involved with traditional Maya communities within Central America, for an engaging look at the daily life of Maya women, and their roles in religion, politics, and the community.

The University of Southern California's Megan O'Neil gives the paper "The Place of Women in Maya Art." Penn Museum's Maya Weekend is one of the largest and oldest meetings in the United States devoted to Maya studies. 2010 brings together international scholars, speakers of Mayan descent, weavers, conservationists, and others actively involved with traditional Maya communities within Central America, for an engaging look at the daily life of Maya women, and their roles in religion, politics, and the community.

Maya Weekend 2010 keynote speaker, Patricia McAnany from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, presents a talk on "Performing/Surviving Womanhood in Maya Societies." Penn Museum's Maya Weekend is one of the largest and oldest meetings in the United States devoted to Maya studies. 2010 brings together international scholars, speakers of Mayan descent, weavers, conservationists, and others actively involved with traditional Maya communities within Central America, for an engaging look at the daily life of Maya women, and their roles in religion, politics, and the community.

University of Pennsylvania's Simon Martin speaks on Royal Women. Penn Museum's Maya Weekend is one of the largest and oldest meetings in the United States devoted to Maya studies. 2010 brings together international scholars, speakers of Mayan descent, weavers, conservationists, and others actively involved with traditional Maya communities within Central America, for an engaging look at the daily life of Maya women, and their roles in religion, politics, and the community.