Free 2026 Gordon R. Willey Series Hybrid Lecture: Ancient Cities of Guatemala’s Pacific Coast
Schedule
Thu Apr 02 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 | Cambridge, MA
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Speakers:Philip J. Deloria, Leverett Saltonstall Professor of History, Harvard University
Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Yale University
On Guatemala’s western Pacific coast, the region of Escuintla is home to many ancient cities, and for thousands of years it has been an important crossroads, drawing traders, migrants, and invaders. In this lecture, archaeologist Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos will present discoveries from three decades of research at the Classic-period cities of Montana and Cotzumalhuapa (250–900 C.E.), highlighting how people moved, interacted, and recorded their histories along the Pacific coast. The discovery of causeways, or raised roads, has revealed the size and organization of these cities, while refined dating methods have allowed researchers to trace their connections to other urban centers across Mesoamerica.
Close study of Cotzumalhuapa’s monumental sculptures has further illuminated these networks through new readings of their intricate reliefs and hieroglyphic texts. Join us to explore how archaeology is reshaping our understanding of Guatemala’s Pacific coast and its place in Mesoamerican history.
Advance registration recommended for online and in-person attendance:
https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/ancient-cities-of-guatemalas-pacific-coast
Free admission. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage starting at 5:00 pm. Presented by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
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Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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