Luz María Mohar Betancourt

Luz María Mohar Betancourt is a Senior Researcher at CIESAS (Tlalpan) and National Researcher (1992-2030). She holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Ibero-American University, Mexico. Her research specializes in Mesoamerican pictographic sources and Nahuatl codices, focusing on cultural complexity and historical narratives of pre-Hispanic societies.

She directs major international projects including Amoxcalli (with National Library of France), Tetlacuilolli (with British Museum), and Tlatoa (with Vienna Library), supported by CONACYT. Her current project Tlatlolli analyzes Mexican documents in Vienna through historical-comparative perspectives.

Research interests:

• Decipherment and interpretation of Mesoamerican pictographic manuscripts
• Cultural transmission in Nahuatl codices
• Historical consciousness of pre-Hispanic societies
• Interdisciplinary analysis of colonial-era documents

Her publications focus on Mesoamerican historical anthropology, particularly examining societal structures through indigenous pictorial systems. Recent work analyzes legal and political institutions in pre-Hispanic Mexico.

Awards and honors:

• Quinto Centenario Award (1990)
• Manuel Gamio Award for Best Research (2011)

She leads collaborative projects with researchers from ENAH, UNAM, University of State of Mexico, and Colegio de Vizcaínas archives. Team members include Dr. Anne Narie Wohrer, Dr. Rodrigo de la Torre, and Dr. Gerardo González.