Richard D. Hansen facts for kids
Richard D. Hansen is an American archaeologist who teaches about people and cultures (anthropology) at the University of Utah. He is well-known for his work on the ancient Maya civilization.
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Exploring the Ancient Maya World
Richard D. Hansen is an expert on the early ancient Maya civilization. He leads a big project called the Mirador Basin Project. This project explores a special area in northern Petén, Guatemala. This area is known as the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin. His team studies ancient cities and how the Maya civilization grew there.
He has worked at other universities like the University of California, Los Angeles and Idaho State University. He also started a group called the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES).
Dr. Hansen's work has been shown in many films and documentaries. He was a main advisor for the movie Apocalypto and the TV show Survivor Guatemala. He also helped with National Geographic's The Story of God with Morgan Freeman.
In 2019, he received a special award from the Guatemalan Ministry of Defense called the Orden de la Monja Blanca. People have called him "one of the 24 individuals that changed Latin America." His research has greatly helped us understand how the Maya civilization developed.
About FARES
Dr. Hansen is the founder and president of the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES). This is a non-profit group that does scientific research. It is based in Idaho, USA.
His Education Journey
Richard Hansen earned his Ph.D. in Archaeology from UCLA in 1992. He received many honors and scholarships during his studies. Before that, he got two bachelor's degrees (B.S.) in Spanish and Archaeology from Brigham Young University in 1978. He also earned a master's degree (M.S.) in Anthropology in 1984.
Special Awards and Honors
Dr. Hansen has received many important awards for his work:
- In 2017, he was given the Gran Cruz of the Order of Quetzal. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in Guatemala. The President of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales, presented it to him.
- In November 2019, he received the "Orden de la Monja Blanca" from the Ministry of Defense of Guatemala. This is also a very high civilian award.
- He was named the 2014 Kislak Lecturer at the U.S. Library of Congress.
- In 2012, the French Ministry of Culture honored him as the "Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres." This means "Knight of Arts and Letters."
- He also received the "Orden del Pop" from Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala in 2012.
- In 2009, he got the highest achievement award from Idaho State University.
- In 2008, he was named Environmentalist of the Year in Latin America by the Latin Trade Bravo Business Association.
- In December 2005, the President of Guatemala, Oscar Berger, gave him the National Order of the Cultural Patrimony of Guatemala.
Dr. Hansen also started the Dialogue of Civilizations Conferences. These conferences bring people together to talk about different cultures. They have been held in places like Guatemala, Turkey, and China. He also helped start the Guatemala-China Association for Culture, Tourism and Sports.
Where He Has Worked
Dr. Hansen has led archaeological research in many places around the world. These include Israel, the U.S. Great Basin, the U.S. Southwest, and Central America.
His current research is in the remote rainforests of northern Guatemala. Scholars from many universities and research groups worldwide work with him. His team has mapped and dug at 51 ancient cities in the Mirador Basin. Dr. Hansen's studies have found some of the largest and oldest ancient cities in Central America. His work has been a very important part of understanding the history of the Maya civilization.
See also
In Spanish: Richard D. Hansen para niños
