The Cultural and Natural Legacy in the Cradle of Maya Civilization: New Perspectives on the Mirador

Tuesday, 14.10.2025, 18.00 h
Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut, Simón Bolívar Hall
Lecture

Richard D. Hansen:
The Cultural and Natural Legacy in the Cradle of Maya Civilization: New Perspectives on the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin

The Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin has been the objective of intensive archaeological excavations since 1978, with more than 56 ancient centers having been explored and mapped. The area is the last tropical forest left in Guatemala, with a major bio-diversity in the area due to six types of tropical forests. Studies have discovered the presence nearly 1000 archaeological sites dating primarily to the Middle and Late Preclassic periods (1000 B.C. – A.D. 150). The concentration of such large and early ancient cities is enhanced by massive pyramids and platforms that rank among the largest in the ancient world. In spite of the spectacular natural and cultural remains in the basin, the area is under huge threats from organized crime, logging, looting, oil and gas explorations, and poaching.

Richard D. Hansen (Idaho State University) will present new perspectives on the Cultural and Natural Legacy in the Cradle of Maya Civilization, including discussions on the origins, dynamics, and demographic collapse of the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin. He will also explain the approaches to preserve this extraordinary place and to foster the prosperity of surrounding communities.

✍️ Registration is requested by 9 October:
ZXZlbnRzb25saW5lIHwgaWFpICEgc3BrLWJlcmxpbiAhIGRl

👉 Más información: https://www.iai.spk-berlin.de/en/veranstaltungen/event/14-10-2025_the-cultural-and-natural-legacy-in-the-cradle-of-maya-civilization-new-perspectives-on-the-mirador-calakmul-karst-basin.html

In cooperation with:
Embassy of Guatemala (@Embajada de Guatemala en Alemania - Botschaft von Guatemala in Deutschland)
Ethnologisches Museum SPK

You may also like the following events from Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut - Preußischer Kulturbesitz:

• Next Tuesday, 7th October, 06:00 pm, Sharing Sound Archives: Wax Cylinder Recordings of the Berl. Phonogramm-Archiv in the IAI's Collec. in Berlin
• Next Thursday, 9th October, 05:00 pm, The Philippines in the 19th Century: New Contributions in Berlin