Eduardo Matos Moctezuma Lecture Series at Harvard Concludes with a Heartfelt Tribute and Academic Success

With a comprehensive program, the Eduardo Matos Moctezuma Lecture Series at Harvard University concluded its most recent cycle and final edition after eight successful years. This event, dedicated to honoring the vast career of Mexican archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma -whose excavations at the Templo Mayor have transformed Mesoamerican archaeology- has featured renowned specialists over the years, including Alfredo López Austin, Diana Magaloni Kerpel, Javier Garciadiego Dantán, Juan Villoro Ruiz, and the recently deceased Ann Cyphers. 

The academic event series began with a roundtable dedicated to discussing the English translation of "La muerte entre los mexicas" (Death in Mesoamerica) by Eduardo Matos Moctezuma. The discussion included prominent figures such as Leonardo López Luján, Director of the Templo Mayor Project; Ximena Chávez Balderas, forensic anthropologist; Patricia Ledesma Bouchan, Director of the Templo Mayor Museum; historian Kris Lane; and Scott Sessions, the book’s editor and translator. The event was moderated by Dr. David Carrasco, the Neil L. Rudenstine Professor at Harvard, Director of the Moses Mesoamerican Archive, a member of the Mexico Studies Program Committee and the Executive Committee of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS), and the primary promoter of the lecture series.

“This is the first lecture series in Harvard's 388-year history to be named after a Mexican intellectual, and today, it concludes with great success,” noted Dr. Carrasco. 

The lecture series ended with a keynote presentation at Harvard, titled "The Archaeology of Tenochtitlan: An Overview," which brought together over 526 virtual and in-person attendees from countries such as Mexico, Canada, Germany, India, Peru, Spain, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines. The presentation offered a detailed perspective on the latest discoveries at the Tenochtitlan archaeological site, underscoring the significance of this work for global archaeology and Mexico's legacy. 

During this event, López Luján summarized the 46 years of continuous work in the Templo Mayor Project and emphasized the importance of teamwork: "As in archaeology and all sciences, the work is collective. What I present today is the result of joint efforts," López Luján stated. 

Eduardo Matos Moctezuma highlighted the importance of this project in his speech: "Nine researchers have participated year after year since 2017. I especially want to mention Alfredo López Austin, the first invited speaker who presented in Mexico City. Today, in this final edition, we close with his son, Leonardo López Luján, who joined the Templo Mayor project when he was only 16 years old. This event is meaningful for what it represents for both of them." 

Additionally, as part of the series, a poster design contest was organized with the participation of Mexican students from Universidad Iberoamericana, led by Sitalin Sánchez, a student at Harvard Divinity School, and professor and designer David Guerrero. The four winning posters, highlighting the visual and cultural impact of archaeological studies in Mexico, were displayed.

This event was made possible thanks to the support and collaboration of Karen Beckmann and José Antonio Alonso Espinosa, a member of the Advisory Board of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) at Harvard, the center’s staff, and close collaboration with various Harvard entities: Harvard Divinity School, Moses Mesoamerican Archive, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. 

With this series of events, Harvard not only reaffirms its commitment to preserving Eduardo Matos Moctezuma’s legacy but also marks the end of an era that, for eight years, has illuminated fundamental aspects of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past, inspiring new generations of scholars and archaeologists.