Zac Lindsey
@arkeogato.bsky.social
Institute of Maya Studies board member, scholar of the cute, the only #archaeologist who can tell you which ancient #Maya kings were jerks
Pinned
Zac Lindsey
@arkeogato.bsky.social
· Nov 23
I’m Zac. I study ancient and contemporary Maya history, which lumps me in with archaeology but I’m a historian. I want to connect you to the real people who played (and play) important roles in the development of indigenous history in the Americas. History is often dry; I’m unabashedly subjective
A week of Fernando Castro Pacheco, an amazing 20th century #popartist and #muralist from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. You can today find his paintings and lithographs at the Casa de Cultura Fernando Castro Pacheco in Merida. #modernart 🎨
November 30, 2025 at 10:39 PM
A week of Fernando Castro Pacheco, an amazing 20th century #popartist and #muralist from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. You can today find his paintings and lithographs at the Casa de Cultura Fernando Castro Pacheco in Merida. #modernart 🎨
Teenie tiny golden froggie, one of many offerings dredged from the sacred cenote (sinkhole) at #ChichénItzá. In Mesoamerica, #Frogs were associated with rain because … well, they come out when it rains! Palacio Cantón #merida. #artifacts #ancientart #archaeology #maya 🏺
November 18, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Teenie tiny golden froggie, one of many offerings dredged from the sacred cenote (sinkhole) at #ChichénItzá. In Mesoamerica, #Frogs were associated with rain because … well, they come out when it rains! Palacio Cantón #merida. #artifacts #ancientart #archaeology #maya 🏺
Las Tumbas, ancient Maya building in Merida. There are flat stones of a Puuc style, so this probably had cool decorative elements. People lived here from 400 BCE to 1100 CE and 19 former residents were buried on-site.
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#maya #hiddenspots #ancientamericas #archaeology 🏺
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#maya #hiddenspots #ancientamericas #archaeology 🏺
November 14, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Las Tumbas, ancient Maya building in Merida. There are flat stones of a Puuc style, so this probably had cool decorative elements. People lived here from 400 BCE to 1100 CE and 19 former residents were buried on-site.
***
#maya #hiddenspots #ancientamericas #archaeology 🏺
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#maya #hiddenspots #ancientamericas #archaeology 🏺
This bloodletting bone belonged to Maya ruler Yuknoom Uht Chan of Dzibanche, an early seat of the famous Snake Dynasty. We know it was his because the glyphs on it tell us. The glyphs are probably no more than 2 cm tall. #Cancun #Maya #Museum
#ancientamericas #artifacts #archaeology 🏺
#ancientamericas #artifacts #archaeology 🏺
November 12, 2025 at 11:30 PM
This bloodletting bone belonged to Maya ruler Yuknoom Uht Chan of Dzibanche, an early seat of the famous Snake Dynasty. We know it was his because the glyphs on it tell us. The glyphs are probably no more than 2 cm tall. #Cancun #Maya #Museum
#ancientamericas #artifacts #archaeology 🏺
#ancientamericas #artifacts #archaeology 🏺
This stunning stucco sculpture is from Oxtankah, but now hangs out at the
Cancun Maya Museum. He has a twin at the site museum in Oxtankah. Probably a ruler or ancestor though maybe one of the legendary hero twins based on his jaguar spots.
#ancientamericas #ancientart #sculpture #archaeology 🏺
Cancun Maya Museum. He has a twin at the site museum in Oxtankah. Probably a ruler or ancestor though maybe one of the legendary hero twins based on his jaguar spots.
#ancientamericas #ancientart #sculpture #archaeology 🏺
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This stunning stucco sculpture is from Oxtankah, but now hangs out at the
Cancun Maya Museum. He has a twin at the site museum in Oxtankah. Probably a ruler or ancestor though maybe one of the legendary hero twins based on his jaguar spots.
#ancientamericas #ancientart #sculpture #archaeology 🏺
Cancun Maya Museum. He has a twin at the site museum in Oxtankah. Probably a ruler or ancestor though maybe one of the legendary hero twins based on his jaguar spots.
#ancientamericas #ancientart #sculpture #archaeology 🏺
This cute #Maya figurine shows the incredible colors of ancient Maya clothing. She wears a huipil with a scandalous red slip beneath. And her feet have Jaguar spots! Cool tattoos? Animal print socks? Or a sign she’s supernatural? 🤷
#Cancun Maya #Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology 🏺
#Cancun Maya #Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology 🏺
November 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This cute #Maya figurine shows the incredible colors of ancient Maya clothing. She wears a huipil with a scandalous red slip beneath. And her feet have Jaguar spots! Cool tattoos? Animal print socks? Or a sign she’s supernatural? 🤷
#Cancun Maya #Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology 🏺
#Cancun Maya #Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology 🏺
The bag that ancient #maya man is holding is an … enema bag! 😅😅😅
It was one way of intaking psychedelic substances during rituals. Luckily we don’t have images of the actual administration. Jk, there totally are. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology #arthistory 🏺
It was one way of intaking psychedelic substances during rituals. Luckily we don’t have images of the actual administration. Jk, there totally are. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology #arthistory 🏺
November 9, 2025 at 7:04 PM
The bag that ancient #maya man is holding is an … enema bag! 😅😅😅
It was one way of intaking psychedelic substances during rituals. Luckily we don’t have images of the actual administration. Jk, there totally are. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology #arthistory 🏺
It was one way of intaking psychedelic substances during rituals. Luckily we don’t have images of the actual administration. Jk, there totally are. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology #arthistory 🏺
A fabulous #Maya #ceramic bowl. The puffed cheeks, the closed eyes, the content smile—I love it.
Cute was an intentional aesthetic and this piece shows a playful side of indigenous Americans that we are told didn’t exist. From the Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
Cute was an intentional aesthetic and this piece shows a playful side of indigenous Americans that we are told didn’t exist. From the Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
November 8, 2025 at 4:13 PM
A fabulous #Maya #ceramic bowl. The puffed cheeks, the closed eyes, the content smile—I love it.
Cute was an intentional aesthetic and this piece shows a playful side of indigenous Americans that we are told didn’t exist. From the Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
Cute was an intentional aesthetic and this piece shows a playful side of indigenous Americans that we are told didn’t exist. From the Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
This is the cutest ancient Maya god I’ve seen. This #ceramic of Itzamnaaj emerging from a shell is from Tulum. Pieces like this use the aesthetic of cute and show a playful side of ancient Americans that we are told didn’t exist. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
November 7, 2025 at 5:57 PM
This is the cutest ancient Maya god I’ve seen. This #ceramic of Itzamnaaj emerging from a shell is from Tulum. Pieces like this use the aesthetic of cute and show a playful side of ancient Americans that we are told didn’t exist. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺
Cherubic column from colonial #Merida. This wooden column is one of my favorites in the Merida City Museum’s collection. #history #archaeology #religiousart 🏺
November 6, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Cherubic column from colonial #Merida. This wooden column is one of my favorites in the Merida City Museum’s collection. #history #archaeology #religiousart 🏺
Some breaking #archaeology news! Scholars have ID’ed an awesome new #Maya Queen at #Coba, #yucatan. Naturally connected to the Snake Dynasty. #sciencenews 🏺
November 4, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Some breaking #archaeology news! Scholars have ID’ed an awesome new #Maya Queen at #Coba, #yucatan. Naturally connected to the Snake Dynasty. #sciencenews 🏺
This is U Kit Kan Le’k Tok’, ruler of #EkBalam in the late 700s CE. As great Maya cities like Tikal and Calakmul collapsed, U Kit provoked a renaissance at Ek Balam. Image from a stone covering his tomb at the Museo Mundo Maya in Merida.
#arthistory #archaeology #maya
#arthistory #archaeology #maya
November 3, 2025 at 9:27 PM
This is U Kit Kan Le’k Tok’, ruler of #EkBalam in the late 700s CE. As great Maya cities like Tikal and Calakmul collapsed, U Kit provoked a renaissance at Ek Balam. Image from a stone covering his tomb at the Museo Mundo Maya in Merida.
#arthistory #archaeology #maya
#arthistory #archaeology #maya
The Castillo at #chichenitza is one of the most famous #maya buildings, but the style isn’t actually all that Maya! It takes a lot from central #Mexico. Not a terrible building though. Here’s a view of it from the city’s ballcourt #ancienthistory #archaeology 🏺
November 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The Castillo at #chichenitza is one of the most famous #maya buildings, but the style isn’t actually all that Maya! It takes a lot from central #Mexico. Not a terrible building though. Here’s a view of it from the city’s ballcourt #ancienthistory #archaeology 🏺
This handsome man is Ek Chuah, the ancient #Maya god of #cacao and, by extension, mercantilism. He often has features associated with foreigners to the Maya area, perhaps an acknowledgement of the cosmopolitanization that comes with contact with outsiders. 🏺 #palaciocanton #ceramic #archaeology
October 30, 2025 at 3:35 AM
This handsome man is Ek Chuah, the ancient #Maya god of #cacao and, by extension, mercantilism. He often has features associated with foreigners to the Maya area, perhaps an acknowledgement of the cosmopolitanization that comes with contact with outsiders. 🏺 #palaciocanton #ceramic #archaeology
This is an ancient #Maya #jade pectoral, once worn by a “priest-king” known as an Ajaw. The t-shaped slit in the center is a wind sign, possibly representing the ruler’s breath. Mundo Maya in #Mérida. #archaeology 🏺
October 29, 2025 at 4:23 AM
This is an ancient #Maya #jade pectoral, once worn by a “priest-king” known as an Ajaw. The t-shaped slit in the center is a wind sign, possibly representing the ruler’s breath. Mundo Maya in #Mérida. #archaeology 🏺
This lovely carved #ceramic from the Museo Tren #Maya shows a ruler on his side passing off a headdress. A fabulous example of Maya horror vacui, there is barely any empty space not filled by designs. That’s a common trait in Maya #art and one reason their art can be difficult to interpret. 🏺
October 27, 2025 at 4:34 PM
This image of the #VirginMary holding the baby Jesus with one hand and saving a soul from the mouth of the inferno with her other goes hard. I don’t normally care for #Colonial era #Mexican #art but this is a fun one from the #Merida city museum. 🏺
October 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This image of the #VirginMary holding the baby Jesus with one hand and saving a soul from the mouth of the inferno with her other goes hard. I don’t normally care for #Colonial era #Mexican #art but this is a fun one from the #Merida city museum. 🏺
Do you ever see a #ceramic figurine so good you can imagine the person who inspired it? A young woman in a huipil is captured mid-dance in this #Maya figurine, probably from 600s to 900s CE. The marks on her forehead, nose and mouth are #tattoos or facial scarring. Mundo Maya, #Merida🏺
October 24, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Reposted by Zac Lindsey
🔥 ¡La naturaleza tiene aire acondicionado! 🌿☀️
October 22, 2025 at 2:10 PM
🔥 ¡La naturaleza tiene aire acondicionado! 🌿☀️
Those eyes! I adore this #ceramic K’awiil from the Palacio Canton’s #Maya collection. If the eyes don’t give him away as supernatural, his snout does. K’awiil was in charge of lightning, and leaders required his blessing. Even today, Maya daykeepers in #Guatemala talk about lightning in the blood 🏺
October 21, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Those eyes! I adore this #ceramic K’awiil from the Palacio Canton’s #Maya collection. If the eyes don’t give him away as supernatural, his snout does. K’awiil was in charge of lightning, and leaders required his blessing. Even today, Maya daykeepers in #Guatemala talk about lightning in the blood 🏺
Here I am at one of my absolute favorite #Maya buildings, the Temple of the Masks at #Kabah in #Yucatan. You’ll get told there are Cháak masks by even guides who know better, but don’t listen! There’s very little evidence these are the rain god Cháak, and lots of evidence it’s not. #hiddengems 🏺
October 21, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Here I am at one of my absolute favorite #Maya buildings, the Temple of the Masks at #Kabah in #Yucatan. You’ll get told there are Cháak masks by even guides who know better, but don’t listen! There’s very little evidence these are the rain god Cháak, and lots of evidence it’s not. #hiddengems 🏺
The arch at #Labna is perhaps the most beautiful #Maya arch. These buildings stood at the entrances to the richest cities in #Yucatan to question visitors and inspect goods. Today arches exist in places like Oxkintok, Labna, Kabah, and Ek Balam. Anyone interested in an all-arch tour, lmk! 🏺
October 20, 2025 at 3:09 AM
This dramatic young man has a long bar through his nose and holds a personified spearthrower, ready to kick butt! Although he’s #Maya, stylistically he’s central #Mexican (more formal and blockier) because he’s from #ChichenItza, where Maya and #Toltec cultures came together. Harmoniously? Hardly! 🏺
October 19, 2025 at 3:34 AM
This dramatic young man has a long bar through his nose and holds a personified spearthrower, ready to kick butt! Although he’s #Maya, stylistically he’s central #Mexican (more formal and blockier) because he’s from #ChichenItza, where Maya and #Toltec cultures came together. Harmoniously? Hardly! 🏺