Eduardo Matos Moctezuma Lecture Series
For 30 years, the internationally renowned archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma directed the monumental excavation of the Great Temple in downtown Mexico City. Under his leadership, Mexican archaeology achieved new levels of excellence in the ways they deciphered the symbolism and meanings of thousands of artifacts uncovered at the Great Temple. They found colossal statues, painted vessels, superimposed pyramids, animal and human sacrifices as well as precious miniatures.
Hallam L. Movius, Jr. Lecture Series
Hallam L. Movius was a Paleolithic archaeologist at Harvard, and a member of the department of anthropology for many years, as well as being a long-time curator in the museum. Being chosen as the Movius lecturer is considered an honor in the field he helped advance for many years.
Tatiana Proskouriakoff Award Lecture Series
A nationally respected scholar, Tatiana Proskourikoff came to the Peabody Museum in 1958 as an expert in Maya art, architecture, and hieroglyphic writing. Her research became the foundation for the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics, and her studies of Maya art are considered classics among archaeologists.
The Proskouriakoff Award was established by a gift from Landon T. Clay to recognize the artistic achievements of non-European cultures of the New World along with outstanding contributions in the field of New World Indian Studies.
Gordon R. Willey Lecture Series
Gordon R. Willey was one of the foremost archaeologists of pre-Colombian America. He was distinguished by his meticulous research of Maya archaeological sites in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, and noted for his pioneering work in settlement pattern studies. Gordon Willey taught at Harvard for 36 years until his retirement in 1984. He served as emeritus senior professor of anthropology until his death in 2002.