My upcoming talk to the Precolumbian Society at the University of Pennsylvaina Museum on October 9
The Woodpecker is a Witch! Birds among the modern and ancient Maya
Birds have played important roles in Mesoamerican cultures for thousands of years. Rob Fergus explores the connections between birds and various Mayan cultures and presents results from his ongoing field work with Kerry Hull among seven different Mayan language groups in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Bird names and bird lore--including notes about birds as social and environmental prognosticators--shed light on modern Mayan world views as well as scenes involving birds in ancient Mayan art and ethnohistoric accounts of later historic Mayan societies.
Three Centuries of Merinos
7 minutes ago