Simon Martin (Mayanist)
| Simon Martin | |
|---|---|
| Residence | United Kingdom United States |
| Citizenship | British |
| Fields | Mayanist scholar (epigraphy, history) |
| Institutions | Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania, UCL Institute of Archaeology |
| Alma mater |
Institute of Archaeology, UCL (PhD 2014) Royal College of Art London (MA 1987) |
| Known for | Epigraphic study of Maya dynastic and political history, religion, art, and iconography |
Simon Martin is a British epigrapher, historian, writer and Mayanist scholar. He is best known for his contributions to the study and decipherment of the Maya script, the writing system used by the pre-Columbian Maya civilisation of Mesoamerica. As one of the leading epigraphers active in contemporary Mayanist research, Martin has specialised in the study of the political interactions and dynastic histories of Classic-era Maya polities. A former honorary research fellow at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, as of 2016[update] Martin holds a position at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology where he is an Associate Curator and Keeper in the American Section.
Simon Martin entered the field of Mayanist research with a professional background in graphic design. He attended the Royal College of Art in London during the 1980s, completing his Master's in Communication Arts in 1987. As a professional designer he worked in televisual media into the mid-1990s, for production companies designing visual elements and programmed content for TV, film and commercials.
Martin had been fascinated by the Maya civilisation since childhood. After a period spent in independent study and research, in the late 1980s Martin began attending Mesoamericanist conferences and Maya hieroglyphics workshops. In parallel with his work in the design profession Martin corresponded with scholars active in Maya research, and travelled to Central America to visit some of the Maya archaeological sites.
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