Merle Greene Robertson was born and raised in Montana, spending her summers in Glacier National Park. After high school, she moved to Seattle and continued her love of the outdoors in the rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula. All of this prepared Merle for her time spent in the Petén, the Maya jungle and her fearless attitude toward the forest.

Merle majored in architecture and design, with a minor in anthropology, receiving her BA from San Francisco State, her MFA from the University of Guanajuato in Mexico, and her Doctorate from Tulane University in Louisiana. Merle Greene Robertson has written over  8 books and is a contributor to over 100 other books and archaeological publications. Her most famous books are the 4-volume set: The Sculpture of Palenque, published by Princeton University Press.

In an interview, Merle Greene explained how she uses Japanese handmade papers of different types and weights. An eight-foot stela with deep relief demands a paper of sufficient strength to withstand the stretch and pull caused by the deep cuts. A delicately lined tablet, such as that of the "Panel of the 96 Hieroglyphs" at Palenque, needs a fine-grained, yet strong paper to bring out the detail. Merle Greene builds up gradually each of her Rubbing's details from light to dark. As many as one hundred applications per square inch may be needed to built up her fine pigment layers.

Dr. Merle Greene's "Rubbings" immaculate detailed artwork continues to help scholars study in depth ancient Mayan art through reliefs found in a vast list of Mayan temple stones.  Her commitment to working only with original Mayan carved stones, she never works with relief stones that have been "restored" with improved additions, has made her work a Mayan scholars true gem.

During the 1990s, Merle Greene R. worked in many Old Chichen stone carvings and stayed at her beloved Hacienda Chichen, located a mist Chichen Itza's majestic Mayan temples.  Scholars all over the world assist her in the large task of preparing the paper for each rubbing as well as caring for her safety.

In Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, on 12th December 2005, the Hacienda Chichen Resort  inaugurated Dr. Merle Greene's Maya Rubbings Museum and Gallery, exhibiting her elegant private collection of Mayan Rubbings. The museum is open to the Hacienda Chichen guests and visitors of this unique green boutique hotel, truly Yucatan's best Eco-Spa Wellness Destination and Mexico's top Mayan Eco-Spa Resorts.

Staying in her own Merle Greene Master Suite and Cottage, brings great joy to her; she personally chose the cottage and decor. During her long fieldtrip visits, she enjoys fine dinner parties and the tranquil ambiance of her suite's sitting area surrounded by her favorite fruit bearing trees. At night Merle enjoys the Hacienda Chichen's life guitar trio music and a traditional "Lima Soup". Pampered with the caring hospitality of the staff, Merle has a true difficult leaving her unique beautiful home away from home. 

Merle Greene's great personal dedication to the Maya has yield an amazing contribution to the study of Maya art and academic investigation of the Maya culture. Her painstaking recording of Maya carvings continues helping thousands of scholars and research teams' study the Maya civilization.


For more information about Merle, visit the following websites:

 Celebrating Merle Greene Robertson article
 at Yucatan Adventure online magazine.

 Tribute to Merle Green Robertson
 at Mesoweb online archaeological magazine

 Doyenne of Mayanists by Tom Gidwitz

 

In July 2008, Dr. Merle Greene celebrated her 95th Birthday Weekend Party at Hacienda Chichen with her family and friends. You too, can plan a Special Event, Wedding, Birthday, and Private Party at our enchanting green hotel. Contact us!

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