HARVARD HONORS DISTINGUISHED MAYA SCHOLAR

Harvard University has conferred the 2024 Tatiana Proskouriakoff Award to UNAM researcher María Teresa Uriarte for her pioneering work in Maya iconography. This prestigious honor celebrates outstanding contributions to archaeology and pre-Hispanic art studies.

The award acknowledges Uriarte’s illustrious career in Mesoamerican iconography, where she has made groundbreaking discoveries. During the award ceremony held on October 28, Uriarte delivered a lecture titled “Gods, Warriors, and Stars: A Close Relationship in Chichén Itzá,” exploring the astronomical and religious symbolism of the “Temple of Warriors” at the Chichén Itzá archaeological site in Mexico. Her presentation highlighted the temple’s profound connections to celestial bodies, including Venus, the Sun, and the Moon.

A focal point of Uriarte’s presentation was her analysis of Venus, a celestial body revered by the ancient Maya for its powerful influence over rituals and military decisions. Venus is represented as the morning star within the Temple of Warriors, symbolically linked to the deity Kukulcán and associated with themes of warfare and sacrifice.

The Tatiana Proskouriakoff Award is given to scholars who, like Uriarte, dedicate their lives to the study of Mesoamerican indigenous cultures, paying tribute to one of the foremost pioneers in Maya glyph decipherment.