Can the Dead rule the Living? (ft. Dr James Fitzsimmons)

About this episode

This episode explores the political implications of death in the ancient Maya world with archaeologist Dr James Fitzsimmons.

When does death really occur? What happens after we die, and who gets to decide? Is death simply an end, or has it always been something far more political? In this episode of The Monkey Mind Lab, archaeologist Dr James Fitzsimmons takes us deep into the ancient Maya world, where death was not an end, but a tool used to legitimise power, construct identity, and anchor entire political systems. We explore how burial practices, ancestor worship, and ritual memory blur the line between the sacred and the strategic, all the while asking: is remembering ever neutral? And if the past is constantly being reshaped, what does that mean for how we understand ourselves?

People in this episode

Host: Abhir Suri

Guest: Dr James Fitzsimmons

Topics covered

• death
• Maya civilization
• politics
• burial practices
• ancestor worship
• identity

Keywords

• death
• Maya
• politics
• burial practices
• ancestor worship
• identity
• ritual memory

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Monkey Mind Lab

Places: Maya

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