Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 2 are Jhanella Mae Martinez (Art History '24) and Alyssa Guerrero (Anthropology '23).

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 2 Episode 2: Ancient Maya Burial Practices and Skeletal Analyses - Interview with Dr. Carolyn Freiwald.

In the second episode of season two, Mae and Alyssa sit down with Dr. Carolyn Freiwald, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Mississippi, a bioarchaeologist and expert in ancient Maya skeletal and isotope analyses (https://socanth.olemiss.edu/carolyn-freiwald/).

Listen in as Dr, Freiwald, Alyssa, and Mae dispel the idea that ancient Maya culture was all about human sacrifice. Instead, Dr. Freiwald shifts the focus to all that we can learn about living people and daily life from analyzing burial contexts. She also provides an overview of how archaeologists can use bone isotopes to track ancient (and modern) migration patterns. Join us for this "spooky" Halloween Special episode!

Season 2 Co-hosts: Jhanella Mae Martinez and Alyssa Guerrero
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez, Lesli Hernandez Arevalo, Annais Garcia
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S2 Ep2 - Ancient Maya Skeletal Analyses (w/ Dr. Carolyn Freiwald)

Season 3 Episode 2: Stone Weapons and Tools - Interview w/ Dr. Alejandra Roche Recinos

In the second episode of season three, Mae and Alyssa interview Dr. Alejandra Roche Recinos, Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Reed College in Portland, OR. (https://www.reed.edu/faculty-profiles/profiles/roche-recinos-alejandra.html)

Listen in as Dr. Roche Recinos discusses the different types of stone weaponry made and used by the Classic Maya, as well as what the production and exchange of lithics like obsidian tools can tell us about the Classic Maya economy. Alyssa, Mae, and Dr. Roche Recinos discuss the broader socio-economic implications of stone quarrying, processing, and trade and how archaeologists go about learning key insights into ancient Maya society from the material remains they left behind.

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 2 are Jhanella Mae Martinez (Art History '24) and Alyssa Guerrero (Anthropology '24). April Whitcomb (Communication, '24) is now serving as the producer/editor.

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 3 Student Co-hosts: Jhanella Mae Martinez and Alyssa Guerrero
Season 3 Student Producer: April Whitcomb
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez, Lesli Hernandez Arevalo, Annais Garcia
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S3 Ep2 - Stone Weapons and Tools (w/ Dr. Alejandra Roche Recinos)

Season 3 Episode 3: Lithics in Belize - Interview w/ Dr. Rachel Horowitz

In the third episode of season three, Mae and Alyssa interview Dr. Rachel Horowitz, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Washington State University (https://anthro.wsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/rachel-horowitz-2/)

Listen in as Dr. Horowitz discusses how Classic Maya communities in Belize made and used chert stone tools, and what analyzing tool production processes can tell us about the ancient economy.  Alyssa, Mae, and Dr. Horowitz discuss the broader socio-economic implications of chert quarrying and production and what stone tools can tell us about rituals related to the underworld.

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 2 are Jhanella Mae Martinez (Art History '24) and Alyssa Guerrero (Anthropology '24). April Whitcomb (Communication, '24) is now serving as the producer/editor.

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 3 Student Co-hosts: Jhanella Mae Martinez and Alyssa Guerrero
Season 3 Student Producer: April Whitcomb
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez, Lesli Hernandez Arevalo, Annais Garcia
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S3 Ep3 - Chert Quarrying and Processing (w/ Dr. Rachel Horowitz)

Season 3 Episode 4: Lidar Airborne Laser Scanning - Interview w/ Dr. Tom Garrison

In the fourth episode of season three, Mae and Alyssa interview Dr. Tom Garrison, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/geography/faculty/tg8227

Listen in as Dr. Garrison discusses how lidar airborne laser scanning technology has transformed the study of ancient Maya settlement patterns, human-environment relationships, socio-political dynamics, and warfare over the past decade. After over 100 years of archaeological research in the Maya lowlands, the adoption of this new technology has been reshaping much of what we previously thought we knew about Classic Maya cities and hinterlands. Alyssa, Mae, and Dr. Garrison discuss the broader implications of applying these massive spatial datasets and how he envisions the lidar revolution continuing in the near future.

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 2 are Jhanella Mae Martinez (Art History '24) and Alyssa Guerrero (Anthropology '24). April Whitcomb (Communication, '24) is now serving as the producer/editor.

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 3 Student Co-Hosts: Jhanella Mae Martinez and Alyssa Guerrero
Season 3 Student Producer: April Whitcomb
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S3 Ep4 - Lidar Airborne Laser Scanning (w/ Dr. Tom Garrison)

Season 3 Episode 5: Cultural Heritage Preservation - Interview w/ Dr. Tomás Gallareta Cervera

In the fifth episode of season three, Mae, Alyssa and Reese interview Dr. Tomás Gallareta Cervera, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Latino/Latina Studies at Kenyon College. https://www.kenyon.edu/directory/tomas-gallareta-cervera/

Listen in as Dr. Gallareta discusses is his current research on cultural heritage and conservation in the Puuc Region of the northern Maya lowlands. Dr. Gallareta has worked with local community members on the digital archiving project "Voices Of The Puuc Angels: Rural Life Among The Archaeological Ruins In The Yucatan Peninsula,” which, through oral history, contributes to the decolonization of contemporary archaeology.

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 3 are Jhanella Mae Martinez (Art History '24), Alyssa Guerrero (Anthropology '24), and Reese Santonil (Anthropology '24). April Whitcomb (Communication, '24) is the podcast's producer/editor for the third season.

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 3 Student Co-Hosts: Jhanella Mae Martinez, Alyssa Guerrero, and Reese Santonil
Season 3 Student Producer: April Whitcomb
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S3 Ep5 - Cultural Heritage Preservation (w/ Dr. Tomás Gallareta Cervera)

Season 3 Episode 6: Geogarchaeology and Ancient Environments - Interview w/ Yesenia Rubi Landa

In the sixth episode of season three, Mae, Alyssa and Reese interview Yesenia Rubi Landa, PhD Candidate at the University of Texas Austin https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/geography/gradstudents/yrl99

Listen in as Rubi discusses her current geoarchaeological research near the site of Tikal, Guatemala and how archaeologists can use soil analyses to understand ancient environments. Rubi completed her MA Thesis research as a member of the Proyecto Arqueologico El Zotz and will be continuing her PhD research on ancient Maya subsistence patterns and changes to their environments.

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 3 are Jhanella Mae Martinez (Art History '24), Alyssa Guerrero (Anthropology '24), and Reese Santonil (Anthropology '24). April Whitcomb (Communication, '24) is the podcast's producer/editor for the third season.

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 3 Student Co-Hosts: Jhanella Mae Martinez, Alyssa Guerrero, and Reese Santonil
Season 3 Student Producer: April Whitcomb
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S3 Ep6 - Geoarchaeology and Ancient Environments (w/ Yesenia Rubi Landa)

Season 4 Episode 1: Classic Maya Palace Spaces and Feasting - Interview w/ Dr. Maxime Lamoureux-St-Hilaire

In the first episode of Season 4, Reese, Diana, and Jose interview Dr. Maxime Lamoureux-St-Hilaire, Assistant Professor of Anthropology (Archaeology) at Mount Royal University. https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/Arts/Departments/SociologyAnthropology/Faculty/Maxime-Lamoureux-St-Hilaire.htm

Listen in as Dr. Lamoureux-St-Hilaire discusses his investigations within the palace complex of the Classic Maya site of La Corona in northwestern Guatemala. Dr. Lamoureux-St-Hiliaire's team uncovered several storage spaces, hieroglyphic monuments, and a huge midden area with evidence of several feasting episodes. In addition to digging into the implications of all of these finds, the interview also discusses the challenges and excitement of off-the-grid archaeological research deep in the Mesoamerican jungle.

Image Credit: Artistic reconstruction of the Northwest Group featuring the storage contexts and retainers and administrators performing ancillary activities (courtesy of
Aaron Alfano).

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 4 are Diana Chavez (Anthropology '25), Reese Santonil (Anthropology '24), and Jose Quintero (Anthropology '25).

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 4 Student Co-Hosts: Reese Santonil, Diana Chavez, and Jose Quintero
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S4 Ep1 - Classic Maya Palace Spaces and Feasting (w/ Dr. Maxime Lamoureux-St-Hilaire)

Season 4 Episode 2: Museum Curation and Maya Archaeology - Interview w/ Dr. Michelle Rich

In the second episode of Season 4, Reese, Diana, and Jose interview Dr. Michelle Rich, the Ellen and Harry S. Parker III Associate Curator of Indigenous American Art at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Listen in as Dr. Rich discusses how her fieldwork experiences at the site of Waka' in Guatemala have influenced her approach to curating museum exhibitions. Upon arriving at the DMA, she helped lead a reimagining of the Indigenous American Art galleries. From excavating a royal tomb in the Peten to transforming the way that thousands of visitors to the museum learn about the Ancient Maya, Dr. Rich's work continues to demonstrate the close relationships between archaeology and museum studies.

Image Credit: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/how-i-got-my-art-job-lacma-archaeologist-and-curator-michelle-rich-1064975

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 4 are Diana Chavez (Anthropology '25), Reese Santonil (Anthropology '24), and Jose Quintero (Anthropology '25).

The podcast was co-created by Jackeline Hernandez (Anthropology '22) and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo (Anthropology '22), and producer Annais Garcia (Journalism '22), and represents a collaboration between the Anthropology and Communications Departments at CSUDH. The theme music was created by Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley (Music '23).

Season 4 Student Co-Hosts: Reese Santonil, Diana Chavez, and Jose Quintero
Co-creators: Jackeline Hernandez and Lesli Hernandez Arevalo
Music: (Copyright) Shannon Gaebrielle Hefley 2022
Advisor: Dr. Ken Seligson
Consultant: Rebecca Lee Douglas

S4 Ep2 - Museum Curation and Maya Archaeology (w/ Dr. Michelle Rich)

Season 4 Episode 3: Society, Space, and Material Agency in the Northern Lowlands - Interview w/ Dr. Scott Hutson

In the third episode of Season 4, Reese, Diana, and Jose interview Dr. Scott Hutson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky: https://anthropology.as.uky.edu/users/srhuts2

Listen in as Dr. Hutson discusses his research at several sites and along an 18-km ancient causeway in the northern Yucatan Peninsula. He explores how architectural spaces help us understand socio-political interactions, as well as how broadening our ideas about who and what had agency in Ancient Maya culture can help us better understand the materiality of daily life. 

Image Credit: Hutson and Welch (2021) Roadwork: Long-Distance Causeways at Uci, Yucatan, Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 32(2), 2021, pp. 310–330

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 4 are Diana Chavez (Anthropology '25), Reese Santonil (Anthropology '24), and Jose Quintero (Anthropology '25).

S4 Ep3 - Society, Space, and Material Agency (w/ Dr. Scott Hutson)

Season 4 Episode 4: Ancient Maya Queens - Interview w/ Dr. Olivia Navarro-Farr

In the fourth and final episode of Season 4, Reese, Diana, and Jose interview Dr. Olivia Navarro-Farr, Professor of Archaeology, Sociology, and Anthropology, and Program Chair for Archaeology at the College of Wooster: https://wooster.edu/bio/onavarro-farr/

Listen in as Dr. Navarro-Farr discusses her research at the ancient Maya site of El Peru-Waká in northern Guatemala, including being part of the team that uncovered the tomb of the Waká Queen Lady K’abel. Dr. Navarro-Farr and the hosts also chat about feminist approaches to archaeology, and the many important roles that royal women played within ancient Maya polities.

Image: Lady K'abel's portrait on Stela 34 of El Perú-Waká

Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 4 are Diana Chavez (Anthropology '25), Reese Santonil (Anthropology '24), and Jose Quintero (Anthropology '25).

S4 Ep4 - Ancient Maya Queens (w/ Dr. Olivia Navarro-Farr)

Season 5 Episode 1: Maya Hieroglyphs and Languages - Interview w/ Dr. Mallory Matsumoto

In the first episode of Season 5, Co-Hosts James Alcaraz and Samantha Amarillas interview Dr. Mallory Matsumoto, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and expert in Ancient Maya Hieroglyphs at UT Austin: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/rs/faculty/mm97298

Listen in as Dr. Matsumoto discusses her research on Ancient Maya Hieroglyphs and the evolution of Mayan languages over time. She covers the types of topics that the Ancient Maya scribes would write about and explains how the language used by the Classic Maya Kings and Queens gave way to the dozens of Mayan dialects spoken around eastern Mesoamerica today!


Uncovering the Ancient Maya is a student-run podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Ancient Maya scholars and a broader public audience interested in the Ancient Maya civilization. The hosts interview archaeologists, art historians, ancient writing scholars, and other experts who specialize in studying the ancient Maya civilization of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through their conversations, listeners are introduced to recent research projects about the Ancient Maya, providing us all an opportunity to learn the most up-to-date information about the ancient Maya civilization straight from the experts. The hosts for season 5 are James Alcaraz (Anthropology '27), Samantha Amarillas (Anthropology '26), and Karla Atanacio (Anthropology '27).

S2 Ep2 - Ancient Maya Skeletal Analyses (w/ Dr. Carolyn Freiwald)

CSUDHanthropology