Recapping the World History Seminar “Mesoamerican Origins: Uncovering the Early Maya at Ceibal” conducted by Dr. Jessica MACLELLAN on 17 March 2022

Dr. Jessica MACLELLAN from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, was invited by the Centre for Comparative and Public History to deliver a lecture entitled “Mesoamerican Origins: Uncovering the Early Maya at Ceibal” on 17 March 2022. Dr. MACLELLAN shared her research at Ceibal, Guatemala concerning the development of Maya society, in particular, the socio-political of early household rituals at the Karinel Group. Ritual not only unites communities but can also divide them and be a source of conflict. Based on her excavations at the Karinel Group which revealed ritual deposits dating to the preclassic period (c.1000 BC – AD 300), Dr. MACLELLAN suggested that Maya public rituals did not necessarily develop from domestic practices. Caches at Ceibal in Guatemala in fact demonstrated the simultaneous emergence of distinct domestic and public rituals. Early Maya society thus had multiple ritual systems which created overlapping communities. The situation was last until c.350 BC when domestic and public rituals became centralized due to a major shift in ritual practices. Dr. MACLELLAN also shared her current project which investigates the nature of the relationships among household and how did those relationships change around 350 BC and whether there were evidence of social hierarchy and inequality.

Recapping Academic Seminar “吾家吾國：一個歷史學者的自述” conducted by Prof. CHENG Hwei Shing on 19 March 2022

The M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public History, Department of History, and the Alumni Association of M.A. in Comparative and Public History co-hosted an online seminar entitled “吾家吾國：一個歷史學者的自述” on 19 March 2022. Prof. CHENG Hwei Shing shared the reasons for writing his own biography with nearly 400 participants, and explored history from personal and family experiences with his recent publication 陌上草青：一個歷史學者的自述.

World History Seminar (2021-22)

Organisers: Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Enquiry: 3943 8541

Workshops for the First-Year RPg Students 2021-22

For enquiry, please call 3943 7448.

Yu Ying-shih Lecture in History 2021/22

To enhance academic and cultural exchange, Chung Chi College, New Asia College and the Department of History of the University joined hands in 2007 to establish the “Yu Ying-shih Lecture in History”. This year, Professor David FAURE, the Emeritus Professor of Department of History in The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has been invited as the guest speaker of the following two public lectures:

All lectures will be conducted online.
Online registration: https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13645309
For enquiries, please call at 3943 1585.

For teachers and students who have information to share with the Department, please email your articles in both Chinese and English to chanfiona@cuhk.edu.hk by 4:00pm every Monday.