In alignment with the standard of experiential learning that she received at CC, Mariana Martin ’25 spent last summer in Central America and Southern Mexico studying ancient Maya architecture in person, rather than just reading about it, thanks to the Edith Kirsch Prize.
“Winning the Edith Kirsch Prize meant the world to me – it is such an incredible opportunity, and I was honored to be selected,” says Martin, an Art major with a concentration in Design Studies and a Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) minor.
Winners of the Edith Kirsch Prize receive $2,000 to conduct an independent summer project abroad studying works of art or architecture. The prize was established in memory of Edith Kirsch, an Italian art scholar and Professor of Art at CC from 1982 to 2004.
“I decided to apply for the Edith Kirsch Prize because it seemed like a great opportunity to study something I’m passionate about in a very physical and embodied way,” Martin says. “It’s one thing to learn about something from a book or online, but it’s another to stand in the middle of a plaza surrounded by structures more than one thousand years old. Without this art prize, I don’t think I ever would have had the opportunity or the means to travel in this way.”
Martin has always been interested in the ancient Maya, so when she saw the opportunity to conduct an independent project abroad, she immediately knew what her topic would be. After taking some classes on Maya civilization, Martin learned that the Maya lived in city-states that did not have much contact with each other. She knew that the landscapes of Southern Mexico and Central America vary greatly, so she decided to research the differences in geography and how the lack of contact between the regions influenced the architecture and art of the different regions that make up the Maya civilization. Martin used her funding to visit different archeological sites in Central America and Southern Mexico. She first spent a week in Mexico in June and then traveled to Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.
Ancient Maya lived in city-states with their own leader and way of operating, and the population size, city structure, and different geographic features of these city-states resulted in a varying landscapes and cultures. Therefore, Martin wanted to answer two questions:
- How much did this variation affect architecture?
- How has it affected the preservation of these sites?
To answer these questions, Martin visited the Tulum Archaeological Site in Mexico, Tikal National Park in Guatemala, Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in the Cayo District, Belize, and Ruinas de Copán in Honduras. She chose archaeological sites that varied geographically to get a better sense of how the architecture was influenced by location.
Ancient Maya architecture often includes features such as multi-level elevated platforms, pyramids, monumental stairways, geometric shape, and corbelled roofing. While most of the places the Maya lived have at least some of those features, they have some differences. Martin wanted to study these differences and see how, despite all being locations of the Maya, they are so different.
“They were an incredibly knowledgeable society in many different fields. I am also very interested in their writing system,” Martin says. “Having taken Maya Hieroglyphic Writing at CC last spring, I am fascinated by the intricate and complex style of writing. Writing, particularly in the Classic Period, was on stone. It is impressive the level of detail the Maya were able to include into their glyphs. Having done stone carving in the past, I have a deeper appreciation for the skill these scribes had. The subtractive nature of stone carving makes the process laborious and incredibly tedious. I was interested in viewing the more formal architectural and artistic forms found in Maya architecture.”
Martin began her adventure in Mexico, where she visited the Tulum Archaeological Site in Quintana Roo, Tulum, which was one of the last Maya cities inhabited and is now a resort town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. There, Martin was able to observe different real-life examples of stone carving. The Tulum Archaeological Site also has tall walls surrounding it and contains corbel arch.
“The corbel arch is attributed to the Maya and is a feature they are perhaps most known for,” Martin says. “Using this type of arch, they were able to create very tall, very narrow ceilings. I wanted to be able to see, in person, the level of intricacy that is found in the reliefs and carvings on many of these buildings.”
After spending a week in Tulum, Martin traveled to Guatemala to visit the Tikal National Park, where she got to see the Plaza of the Seven Temples, an architectural complex in the ruins of Tikal, an ancient Maya city.
“The lack of contact between the regions meant that the architecture is a reflection of the circumstances at each site,” Martin says. “For instance, in the dense jungle of Tikal, the pyramids were built tall – tall enough to have visibility above the tree canopy. Tulum, on the other hand, was one of the last of the Maya sites that was inhabited. It was quickly built and has simpler architecture.”
While abroad, Martin prioritized experiencing the local culture of the countries she visited.
“Because of the history of the Americas, it is important for me to be cognizant of erasure and make an effort to highlight Indigenous perspectives and experiences,” says Martin, who has studied the region and culture intensely as a LACS minor and LACS Student Assistant. “I wanted to explore not only archaeological sites, but also museums and organizations in surrounding areas to see how information is acquired and distributed.”
When possible, Martin went on tours at the archeological sites to learn more about what locals consider important to include in the narrative. When she visited museums, she noted what topics they chose to display and highlight.
After spending two days in Tikal, Martin traveled to Belize to visit the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in the Cayo District, which was the first ancient Maya site that was opened to the public. She got to spend time observing El Castillo, a famous pyramid made of stone, which gave her a lot of insight into the ancient Maya architectural features used.
Finally, Martin ended her trip with three days in Honduras, visiting the Ruinas de Copán. She wanted to see for herself how much of the original structures remain. She believes that the site of Copán is an excellent way to start the process of answering her two research questions.
“When Copán was found, it was in terrible condition,” Martin says. “Even now, much of it is missing. This region of Honduras is especially vulnerable to earthquakes, which have destroyed much of what remained of Copán. The site, though, despite not surviving intact, has proved incredibly useful in understanding the evolution of architecture. There is little to no evidence that suggests that the art here was influenced by foreign entities. Copán is the highlands region of the Maya civilization, which is marked by its hilly and mountainous topography. Is this perhaps why Copán was able to evolve and develop such a distinct style?”
Martin says this question is hard to answer. While there is significant information available on the lowland Maya region, such as Xpuhil, Mexico, there is not much information accessible for the highlands.
“Is this perhaps because there are fewer surviving structures discovered, therefore less is known? Information on the lowland Maya is easily accessible,” Martin says. “It is significantly more difficult, though, to find in-depth information on the highlands. It can be assumed that geography plays a role. The isolated, mountainous nature of the highlands makes it a harder terrain to navigate.”
Over the course of her time studying the different archaeological sites, Martin expanded her research focus to include not just the art and architecture, but also the preservation of the sites and the factors that impact the preservation.
“Each site was in different states of excavation and preservation.,” Martin says. “I found it interesting that one of the more famous ones, Tikal, was in a ‘worse’ state than the other smaller, lesser-known sites… It turns out that Tikal is part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve and also is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Therefore, the flora and fauna are protected. That means that as much as researchers may want to excavate more of the site, there are protections in place that make it difficult to do so. Another factor such as this one, that affects how much research can be done at each site, is how much money is allocated to a particular site.”
Martin is grateful to the Art Department for the opportunity to study her interests so intensely.
“More specifically, I’d like to thank Meghan Rubenstein for her infectious passion,” Martin says. “Without her, my interest in Maya archaeology would not be as profound. She was an incredible resource throughout this process, and I owe many of my successes to her.”
“Working with Mariana is always a pleasure,” says Rubenstein, who was Martin’s professor in her Maya Hieroglyphic Writing class last spring. “She is curious and insightful, two qualities evident in her compelling project proposal and the execution of her research.”
Martin has always been passionate about art, so once arriving at CC, she got involved in the Art Department immediately and began taking advantage of all the opportunities available to her through CC, both on and off campus. During her sophomore year, Martin received project-oriented funding to make a large-scale art installation at Llamapalooza, and last year, she received the Craig Hurst Arts Prize Award. The Art Department also selected Martin for a scholarship to take an art course at Anderson Ranch Art Center this past summer.
“I am incredibly grateful for the Art Department and all of the opportunities they have given me,” Martin says.