Maarten E.R.G.N. Jansen
(PhD Leiden 1983) is head of the department Archaeological Heritage and Society, which forms part of the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, The Netherlands. With a general interest in the cultural heritage and social condition of indigenous peoples, his research focuses on the interpretation of ancient Mexican art, particularly the corpus of historical and religious pictorial manuscripts, paying special attention to the continuous presence of indigenous languages, knowledge, cultural traditions and worldview in descendant communities.
Together with Mixtec researcher Gabina Aurora Pérez Jiménez, he carries out long-term historical studies and ethnographic fieldwork in the Ñuu Savi (Mixtec) region in the state of Oaxaca (Southern Mexico).
The Mexican government bestowed upon him the commandership in the Order of the Aztec Eagle, while the government of the State of Oaxaca (Mexico) honoured him with the Medal of Merit ‘Andrés Henestrosa’.
Jansen has supervised some thirty PhD dissertations. At present he coordinates the ERC advanced grant project ‘Time in Intercultural Context: the indigenous calendars from Mexico and Guatemala’. His contribution to the twinning project Engaged Humanities concerns the connection between linguistic revitalisation, reintegration of cultural memory, decolonising methodology and the rights of indigenous peoples.
