Synopsis:

The distinguished Mexican archaeologist Alfonso Caso discovered Tomb 7 at Monte Albán in 1932 during the first weeks of what was to be a twenty-year project at the ancient Zapotec center. The tomb, furnished with lavish offerings forged in gold, silver, and copper all wrought in a foreign style, made an immediate splash as the discovery was featured in National Geographic and Natural History magazines. Yet to this day, the tomb and its treasure remain an outlier at the ancient center that is difficult to explain. Why was the tomb installed in a city that fell into ruin some 600 years before. Who was buried in Tomb 7 and by whom? There are answers… Come and find them out.

The Presenter:

Originally from Canada, Robert Markens holds a doctorate in anthropology from Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA, and was a researcher at the Institute of Aesthetic Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 2011 until June of 2025. His research focuses on political power in pre-Hispanic Oaxaca and how the principles of power are reflected in works of art, public buildings, and urban planning. He has taught at several universities, including UNAM, the Autonomous University “Benito Juárez” of Oaxaca, the University of the Southeast, the University of Costa Rica, the University of Chicago, and New York University.