Ben Thomas is the Executive Director of the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and Associate Professor in Liberal Arts at Berklee College of Music. Prior to joining SAH he was Director of Programs for the Archaeological Institute of America for 18 years. Ben was introduced to archaeology at Brandeis University (B.A.) and received his graduate degrees in Mesoamerican archaeology from Boston University (M.A. and Ph.D.) after several years of fieldwork in the jungles and swamps of Belize and Guatemala. He is a Mayanist with specific interests in ancient Maya architecture, settlements, and built environments. Ben has travelled extensively throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, and has excavated and studied everything from modest Maya houses in rural settlements to elegant palaces in larger urban centers.
As the Executive Director of SAH, Ben works closely with scholars of the built environment. SAH supports research and scholarship through publications, conferences and programs, advocacy, and outreach. In his former role as Director of Programs for the AIA, Ben was responsible for the Institute’s outreach and education activities, including International Archaeology Day, ArchaeoCon, the national lecture program, the site preservation program, all grants and fellowships, and the 105 local societies. At Berklee, where he has been teaching for over 18 years, he introduces students to Mesoamerican art and archaeology and some of the great archaeological discoveries that have been made in the last 300 years.
Currently, Ben is working with archaeologists, tour operators, and archaeological site managers on issues of sustainable archaeological tourism, presenting sites to the public, and public outreach and engagement. Since 2017, Ben has led the AIA’s Yucatán tour and, for the last three years, this very tour in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to excellent reviews.
Executive Director of the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and Associate Professor in Liberal Arts at Berklee College of Music
