Tatiana Proskouriakoff

Tatiana Proskouriakoff was a pioneering archaeologist and scholar who greatly advanced our understanding of the ancient Maya civilization. She specialized in deciphering Maya hieroglyphs, the written symbols used by the Maya to record history, politics, and culture. Her meticulous work revealed that these writings documented rulers' biographies and significant events, transforming the way we interpret Maya artifacts and architecture. Proskouriakoff’s discoveries helped establish a timeline of Maya history, shifting perceptions from a civilization thought to be mostly ceremonial to one with complex political and historical narratives. Her contributions are fundamental to the study of Maya archaeology and epigraphy.