David Stuart is the David and Linda Schele Professor of Mesoamerican Art and Writing at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his PhD in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University in 1995, and taught at Harvard University for eleven years before arriving at UT Austin in 2004, where he now teaches in the Department of Art and Art History. His interests in the traditional cultures of Mesoamerica are wide-ranging, but his primary research focuses is the archaeology and epigraphy of ancient Maya civilization, and for the past three decades he has been very active in the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing. His books include Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya (Thames and Hudson), and most recently The Order of Days (Random House), a popular account of ancient Maya calendars and cosmology. Stuart is also currently the director of The Mesoamerica Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which fosters multi-disciplinary studies on ancient American art and culture.

Reimagined with an updated message – “We were here. We are still here.” – the hall aims to elevate the Indigenous voices from Tribes and Nations in North, Central, and South America. HMNS is grateful for the support and guidance we receive from Indigenous advisors as we maintain this living exhibit.