Quinta Mazatlán World Birding Center is honored to host Dr. Servando Z. Hinojosa, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Thursday October 28th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a Dia de Los Muertos inspired presentation on “The Life of Bones in Mexico” on the Thursday Night Live series at Quinta Mazatlán.

 

Servando Z. Hinojosa’s research centers on the cultures and experiences of Mesoamerican peoples. Mesoamerica is a region located in modern day Mexico and northern Central America that was home to numerous groups speaking dozens of languages prior to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The civilizations that comprised Mesoamerica pioneered the growth of large urban areas featuring monumental architecture and complex political institutions, all set within vast trading networks. They also produced the first written language in the Americas.

Hinojosa’s main area of interest in present-day Mesoamerica has been the lived experience of spiritual life and healing among highland Maya people of Guatemala. He has observed firsthand how Kaqchikel Maya midwives, soul-healers, and ritual dancers formulate their outlooks and activities and how Kaqchikel and Tz’utujiil Maya bonesetters perform their work.

In this presentation Hinojosa will address how human bones have long encased ideas of ancestry, immortality, imperial power, and resilience in Mesoamerica. These body parts have been depicted in many ways and have often anchored narratives about life and death in the region. Bones provide the scaffolding that builds us, but they are also implicated in how Mesoamericans preserve, create, and illustrate a larger world of ideas connecting people with each other and with their ancestors. Come celebrate these emblems of life as we honor Day of the Dead and explore the deeper meaning of human bones.

Tickets are $3 per person. Pre-purchased tickets are recommended and can be purchased through www.quintamazatlan.ticketleap.com. Follow current COVID-19 Safety Guidelines while in park. For more information, contact Quinta Mazatlán at (956) 681-3370 and follow Quinta Mazatlán on social media.

 

Photo of Dr. Servando Z. Hinojosa