Few experiences that I have had while in college have influenced my life as much as the Maya Weekend, an archaeological conference that I have attended since 1996. Mesoamerican scholars from all over the world unite every spring at the University of Pennsylvania to share their most recent research. Every year, papers are presented and workshops are held that deal with a different theme or aspect of Mesoamerican life. Through my participation in the Maya Weekend, I have not only learned basic hieroglyphic decipherment skills though the Glyph Workshops, but I have also learned about Maya and Aztec ritual, religion, tradition, politics, and epigraphic history from renowned anthropologists and archaeologists from across the globe. I have gained a great deal of knowledge and insight about the ancient and living Maya people in addition to having become familiar with the people whose work has so thoroughly explained the beliefs and practices of the complex civilizations that dominated Pre-Colombian Latin America. 

The Maya Weekend also helped me to discover my great passion for ancient Mesoamerica. I have grown not only as a student but also as a person by immersing myself in this scholarly environment and learning how to work within the field of Mesoamerican anthropology. I have combined it with my Spanish major and self-designed major in Latin American Anthropology; it has even enabled me to explore the magic of ancient Mesoamerica for a philosophy class. As I look ahead to graduate studies in archaeology, I realize how much the Maya Weekend has added to my Muhlenberg experience as a whole. 

The Maya Weekend is held the first weekend in April every year at the University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania.  Information can be obtained from the Museum Office of Special Events.
                        Ashley Kistler ’00