MAYA STUDIES

The Pre-Columbian Society of the Museum of Archaeology & Anthrology of Univ. of Pennsylvania

The Committee on Latin American & Caribbean Studies at St. John's Univ.

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I belong to the Pre-Columbian Society of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. We gather on the second Saturday of each month at the Museum to

(1) work with John Harris and the other "glyphies" on the translation of certain hieroglyphs from stelae at Maya sites or from Maya codices and

(2) enjoy a one-hour-long presentation by an authority in Meso-American Studies.

My interests in Maya hieroglyphics were first peaked during my attendance in September, 1996, at the Workshop on Maya Hieroglyphs, held at the UPENN Museum, which was taught by Profs. Kathryn Josserand and Nick Hopkins of Florida State Univ. Since that eventful Workshop, I have been extremely interested in the Maya and other pre-Columbian cultures. I then attended the very successful Maya Weekend at the UPENN Museum from April 11 to 13, 1997. The next year, I attended the Maya weekend from April 5 to 7, 1998. Because of the generosity of Kathryn and Nick, I was also able to attend the short workshop which they held at Columbia Univ. on Maya glyphs from Jan. 29 to Feb 1, 1998. I enjoyed the 1999 Maya Weekend at the Univ. of Pennsylvania and will attend the 2000 Maya Weekend from March 31 through April 2. I attended the Yale Univ. Conference on "The Royal Courts of the Maya" on November 7 and 8, 1998 in New haven, CT.

Because of my interests in the Maya, I have made several trips to visit Maya sites in Mexico. In 1987, I went to Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Cobá, Loltun, and other sites in the Yucatan. In 1991, I visited Yaxchilan, Palenque and Bonampak. Of course, I also visited the pre-Columbian cities of Teotihuacan, Monte Alban and Mitla in Mexico. I am making plans now to visit Guatemala this year (2004) in order to visit Tikal, Copán, Uaxactun and Quirigua.


The Committee on Latin American and Caribbean Studies [CLACS] of St. John’s University is composed of faculty and administrators whose research, teaching, and professional involvement demonstrate a serious commitment to these studies. I joined the Committee in 1996. Dr. Alina Camacho-Gingerich is chair of the Committee which offers an Interdisciplinary Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, similar to a minor, to students who major in any department at St. John’s. The Committee sponsors many conferences, symposia, workshops, lectures and seminars. In addition to the quarterly Newsletter, the Committee is organizing the publication of an interdisciplinary journal on Latin America and the Caribbean. Dr. Camacho-Gingerich can be reached at 1-718-990-1932, or by e-mail at clacs@stjohns.edu

In late 1997, I arranged for the Pre-Columbian Society of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to hold its monthly meeting at St. John's University as a conference. The conference speakers included Justin Kerr, David Lentz, Willard Gingerich, and Mary Ciaramello.