The Ancient Maya: Millennia of Art and Architecture of a Rainforest Civilisation
Schedule
Mon, 14 Jul, 2025 at 10:00 am to Fri, 18 Jul, 2025 at 04:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Vernon Square, London, WC1X 9, United Kingdom | London, EN
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Short Courses - Summer School on campusMonday 14 – Friday 18 July 2025
Dr Sanja Savkic Sebek
£645
Course description
This course explores the rich and diverse visual and material culture of the ancient Maya, one of the greatest civilisations of the ‘New World’, which flourished in modern-day southern Mexico and northern Central America for nearly three millennia, until the arrival of the Spanish in the early sixteenth century.
Given the long duration of Maya civilisation and the vast number of ancient sites, there is significant variation in their art, architecture, history, and politics. Therefore, we will focus on providing an overarching picture of individual regions and their histories, while offering more detailed insights into selected places, artworks, calligraphic writing, and prominent individuals. We will examine a series of key case studies, such as important monuments and art objects in a variety of media, considering them in terms of style and their original socio-political or sacred contexts. Artworks and hieroglyphic texts will be used as primary sources to understand how the ancient Maya expressed ideas about history, political power, and the divine. We will also explore Western encounters with the Maya to consider how this civilisation has been represented both historically and in the present day. The lectures will be complemented by visits to the British Museum and a workshop on Maya writing.
Find out more and book now: https://courtauld.ac.uk/short-courses-2025/summer-school/summer-school-on-campus/25-the-ancient-maya-millennia-of-art-and-architecture-of-a-rainforest-civilisation/
Image: Figure of a Standing Warrior, 650–800 CE, ceramic with pigment. Late Classic Maya, Jaina, Campeche or Yucatán, Mexico. African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund, Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Image: artic.edu
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Where is it happening?
Vernon Square, London, WC1X 9, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
