Music was an essential art form in the daily and ceremonial lives of ancient Maya people, but often isn’t talked about in today’s discussions of the Mesoamerican civilization. While music and sound are inherently ephemeral, the material culture, including instruments, recovered from different populations across time and around the world allows us to hear the past and gain insight into musical traditions.

Join Jared Katz, Pappalardo Curator of Musical Instruments, as he discusses the techniques used to study ancient music today, the types of evidence available to us, and what we’ve learned about music’s role in Maya culture. Enjoy performances on playable, 3D-printed replicas of ancient musical instruments and a brief discussion of a new research project at the MFA.