Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Room 8-436
Cambridge, MA 02139
francoro@mit.edu (617) 324-6148
Franco Rossi is an archaeologist whose work examines interactions between societies and environments, combining anthropological frameworks and materials analysis’s. He has worked for over 14 years with the San Bartholo-Xultun Regional Archaeological Project (PRASBX), which investigates urban sites in the northeastern Petèn region of Guatemala with long histories spanning the rise and fall of Classic Maya Kingdoms (ca. 400 BCE- CE 900). As a transnational and multi-institutional collaboration in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, PRASBX blends multiple toolkits to approach these expansive archaeological findings–including architectural and mural conservation, material and social analyses, and environmental and climate science initiatives– working in consultation with local Indigenous communities (www.xulun.org). As part of the PRASBX team, Dr. Rossi is currently directing the documentation and analysis of monumental stelae and excavations associated with carved monuments at Xultun. He is also leading the project’s digital initiatives to curate the art and architecture from San Bartolo and Xultun.