Simon Martin

Simon Martin is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Associate Curator & Keeper of the American Section at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. He specializes in Maya hieroglyphic writing, focusing on Classic Period (150-900 CE) political systems, religious beliefs, and social organization. His research includes epigraphic fieldwork at Calakmul (UNESCO site) and collaboration on Ucanal, Guatemala. He co-curated major exhibitions like 'Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya' and 'MAYA 2012: Lords of Time', and authored/co-authored influential works including Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens and Ancient Maya Politics.

Education: PhD from University College London (2014). Notable roles include the Jay I. Kislak Chair (2019-2020). Awards include three 2020 PROSE Awards and the 2021 James Henry Breasted Prize. His work bridges archaeology, epigraphy, and museum studies, emphasizing political anthropology and Mesoamerican heritage.

• Awards: R.R. Hawkins Award (PROSE 2020), James Henry Breasted Prize (2021)
• Key Projects: Calakmul fieldwork (1994-2016), Ucanal collaboration, Penn Museum reinstallation (2019)
• Teaching: Taught courses on Maya archaeology, including 'The Ancient Maya: Integrating Material, Text, and Image'