The Southwestern University Phi Beta Kappa Society chapter is thrilled to welcome Dr. Mary Miller through the Visiting Scholar Program.

Dr. Mary Miller, Sterling Professor of the History of Art at Yale UniversityMary Miller, Sterling Professor of the History of Art and senior director of the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage at Yale University, will give a lecture entitled Were they enslaved? Maya Figurines from Jaina Island and Beyond on Thursday, February 1 at 5:00 pm in Olin 110. The presentation will discuss the ancient Mayan’s multitude of crafted figurines and their significance in understanding the complexities of the ancient civilization. Dr. Miller will also address the not so well understand practice of the enslavement of indigenous people by indigenous people.

Dr. Miller, a specialist in the art of the ancient New World and curator of major international exhibitions, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has delivered the Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts at the National Gallery of Art as well as the Slade Lectures at Cambridge University. Her books include The Blood of Kings: Ritual and Dynasty in Maya Art; The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya; Maya Art and Architecture; Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya; A Pre-Columbian World; The Art of Mesoamerica; and The Spectacle of the Late Maya Court: Reflections on the Murals of Bonampak.

Learn more about Dr. Miller

Dr. Miller visits Southwestern as part of the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Visiting Scholar Program, which offers undergraduates the opportunity to spend time with some of America’s most distinguished scholars. The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the institution by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students. Founded in 1776, the Phi Beta Kappa Society is the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. Its mission is to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, to recognize academic excellence, and to foster freedom of thought and expression.

The lecture is free and open to the public.