Mayan Art, Artifacts, and Chocolate

Did you ever wonder how the cacao bean is harvested, processed, and ultimately refined into delicious sweets? Learn about the history of chocolate through a visual presentation, Q&A, and tastings.

A specialist in Maya hieroglyphic writing, archaeoastronomy, comparative mythology, and cacao, Dr. Michael J. Grofe is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Sacramento City College, where he currently teaches cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and physical anthropology, along with specialized courses on Mesoamerican archaeology and anthropology. A former chocolatier, Dr. Grofe’s research has been featured in multiple publications and presentations. With the Maya Exploration Center, he has led numerous archaeological, ethnographic, and ecological field courses throughout the world. Since 2016, he has served as the President of the non-profit organization, Mayas for Ancient Mayan (MAM), which works together with Maya teachers and communities that wish to help Maya people learn to read and write in the hieroglyphic script of their ancestors.