Artist, architect, and archaeologist, Tania Proskouriakoff began her career in Maya archaeology in 1936 when
she was asked to serve as surveyor and draftsperson for the University of Pennsylvania expedition to the Maya archaeological
ruins of Piedras Negras. In the lush rainforest on the border between Mexico and Guatemala, she worked under difficult
conditions, measuring the ruined pyramids and plazas of this grand site. She later used this information to make reconstruction
drawings of how the site may have appeared one thousand years before. The results of this and later expeditions
to other archaeological sites were published in her Album of Maya Architecture. For the rest of her life, Tania strove to
understand the ancient Maya, making major contributions along the way. It was a remarkable life.
I had the opportunity to work for Tania as a volunteer assistant from 1972-'73 at Harvard's Peabody Museum.
Through stories she shared with me, her archived diaries and field notebooks, and interviews with her colleagues,
former students, and relatives, I pieced together the story of her adventurous life. The resulting book includes
previously unpublished photographs from private family collections, as well as photographs of the Carnegie Institution of
Washington, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum. I was supported in my work by my husband Tom Oakley, by the Cabarrus
Arts Council ( www.cabarrusartscouncil.org), and by a Regional Artist's Grant from the Arts and Science Councils of NC.
Articles and Other Pieces by Solomon
"The Christmas Gift," a one-act play which takes place on a snowy December day in 1934.
"Off and Running," article on an 85-year-old North Carolina woman marathon runner, in the April,
2008 publication in Our State magazine. Re-printed in the February, 2009 Twin City Track Club Flyer,
Winston-Salem, NC.
Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1909-1985) Online article at:
"Reconnecting the Pieces: A Journey through the Life of Tatiana Proskouriakoff," University of Oklahoma
Press Fall, 2002 Academic Catalog
"A Pioneer in Maya Archaeology," Fall, 2003 issue of American Archaeology Magazine, part
of the Legends in Archaeology feature.
Book Review of Ian Graham's Alfred Maudslay and the Maya: A Biography, appears in the journal
Mesoamerica #47, pg. 176. (Translation into Spanish by Sara Martinez Juan)
"Captive Audience," creative non-fiction essay, winner in its category '08 Cabarrus Silver Arts. Chosen
to be entered in the State Silver Arts competition in fall, '08.
"Singing to the Fairies in the Doghouse," an essay which won a first place award in the '06 Silver Arts
competition, Cabarrus County Senior Games.
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I have been chosen as a North Carolina Humanities Council Road Scholar for my talk, "An Introduction to the Ancient Maya." If
you are part of a non-profit organization that would be interested in having such a presentation, you will find guidelines
at www.nchumanities.org. For others who would be interested in my presentation on Proskouriakoff, you can e-mail me by clicking on the Contact
Me button at the left of this page. It's always a pleasure to hear from folks who are intrigued by what they read
of her life. I feel honored to have written her life story and to be able to continue giving talks on this dynamic woman!
EVENTS:
February 3, 2009 "Writing a Life," 10 AM Circle Meeting, Morningside of Concord, 500 Penny Lane, Concord,
NC
February 11, 2009 "The Life and Work of Mayanist Tatiana Proskouriakoff," 10:30 AM Prime Timers, CUMC, 30
Union St. N, Concord, NC
June 6-8, 2009 Accompanying Margaret Hagerty, subject of my April, 2008 Our State Magazine article "Off and
Running," as guests of the Beech Mountain, NC Chamber.
June 12, 2009 "The Life of Mayanist Tatiana Proskouriakoff," lecture/book signing, 3-4 PM, Wesley Woods, Tower
Cr. East, Atlanta, GA
August 10, 2009 Talk/slide presentation on the life and work of Tatiana Proskouriakoff, 2-3 PM, Morningside
of Concord, 500 Penny Lane, Concord, NC
PAST EVENTS:
Duke/UNC Center for Latin American Studies, Chapel Hill, NC
Mint Museum of Art Curator's Circle Lecture, Charlotte, NC
Hofstra University Author's Event, Hempstead, NY
WRHU Radio Interview on Dr. Linda Longmire's program: Visions & Choices
Archaeological Institute of America, Charlotte chapter, Charlotte, NC
University of North Carolina - Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Highlander's Club Talk and Booksigning: Black Mountain, NC
Rotary Luncheon Talk and Booksigning, Black Mountain, NC
Guest of the Chamber of Commerce with Margaret Hagerty, subject of my article "Off and
Running," Beech Mountain, NC
Lanier Library Talk/Booksigning, Tryon, NC
Spring Writer's Conference, Greensboro, NC
Cabarrus Arts Council Exhibition of Regional Artist Grant recipients, Old Courthouse, Union Street,
Concord, NC.
Burke County Public Library, lecture/slide presentation for the Continuing Education Program,
Morganton, NC
Morningside of Concord, lecture/slide presentation, Concord, NC
Black Mountain Public Library, Friends of the Library Author's Event, Black Mountain, NC
The Frame Gallery, Statesville, NC
Black Bear Books, Boone, NC
Cannon Memorial Library - Kannapolis Branch, Kannapolis, NC
Cabarrus Arts Council, Concord, NC
Meet the Authors at Barnes and Noble, Huntersville, NC
Soul Food Book Club, Harrisburg, NC
Athenaeum Book Club of Monroe, Concord, NC
Prime Timers Club, St. John's Episcopal Church, Charlotte
Cannon Memorial Library-Concord Branch, Concord, NC
Sydney Lanier Book Club, Concord, NC
Cabarrus Arts Council Breakfast, Concord, NC
Second Tuesday Book Club, Concord, NC
Ethel Williams/Virginia Dare Bookclubs, Concord, NC
Appeared in "Code of the Maya Kings," National Geographic Channel special.
Consulted on "Cracking the Maya Code," a documentary aired on NOVA
The 2009 Mesoamerican Conference at California State University in Los Angeles was presented as an homage to Proskouriakoff,
commemorating one-hundred years since her birth in Tomsk, Siberia. A new film, Cracking the Maya Code, has
been shown as part of the NOVA series on PBS. It explores the history of the breaking of the Maya glyphic code and contains
a section devoted to Tania for which I contributed photographs and was consulted. For more on this, check the following website:
www.nightfirefilms.org
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