María Teresa Rojas Rabiela (born December 17, 1947) is an ethnologist, ethnohistorian, Emeritus National Researcher,According to the 2022 Call for the Distinction of National Emeritus Researcher in the National System of Researchers of Mexico outcomes (In Spanish). National Council for Science and Technology. Mexico government. See: https://conacyt.mx/wp-content/uploads/convocatorias/sni/resultados/2022/RESULTADOS_CONVOCATORIA_EMERITOS_2022.pdf 2024 National Prize for Arts and Sciences, Field III. History, Social Sciences, and Philosophy, Mexico,Acuerdo por el que se otorga el Premio Nacional de Artes y Literatura 2024. Presidencia de la República. Diario Oficial de la Federación (Federation Official Gazette), June 5, 2025, morning edition, Mexico. https://www.dof.gob.mx/#gsc.tab=0 and Mexican academic, specializing in Chinampas of Mexico's Basin, history of agriculture, hydraulics, technology, and labor organization in Mesoamerica during pre-Columbian and colonial eras, as well as historical photography of Mexico's peasants and indigenous people. She is recognized as a pioneer in historical studies on earthquakes in Mexico. From 2018 to 2021, Rojas Rabiela was involved in the restoration of the section of the pre-Hispanic aqueduct of Tetzcotzinco, Texcoco, known as El caño quebrado (the broken pipe).
Education and academia Rabiela obtained her bachelor's degree in ethnology from Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico, with her thesis Aspectos tecnológicos de las obras hidráulicas en el Valle de México (English: Technological Aspects of Hydraulic Works in the Valley of Mexico) under the direction of ; before acquiring her master's degree at the same institution. She received her doctoral degree from Universidad Iberoamericana, with the thesis La agricultura mesoamericana en el siglo XVI (English: Mesoamerican Agriculture in the 16th century), directed by Pedro Carrasco. She studied under Guillermo Bonfil Batalla, , Pedro Armillas, Pedro Carrasco and William T. Sanders.
In 1973, she was appointed research professor at Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (English: Higher Anthropology Research and Studies Center, CIESAS, for its acronym in Spanish), and its CEO from 1990 to 1996.
Career
Rojas Rabiela has held managerial, advisory, academic and representative positions at Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social, Mexico; Foro Consultivo Científico y Tecnológico (Scientific and Technological Consultative Forum) Mexico; Academia Mexicana de Ciencias (Mexican Academy of Science); Colegio de Etnólogos y Antropólogos Sociales (Ethnologists and Social Anthropologists Society) Mexico; Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) Mexico; the UNAM Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas (Institute of Anthropological Research-UNAM); the Archivo General de la Nación (Nation's General Archive) Mexico; Universidad Iberoamericana, El Colegio de México, El Colegio de San Luis and El Colegio de Michoacán.
Rojas Rabiela is the Water's Historical Archive's founder (National Water Commission, Mexico) and has directed the Agrarian General Archive project development (CIESAS- Registro Nacional Agrario, Mexico).
She has been editor of Historia de los Pueblos Indígenas de México (Mexico's Indigenous Peoples History) collection (twenty four volumes) with Mario Humberto Ruz Sosa, CIESAS – Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, Mexico; of Colección Agraria ( Agrarian Collection, seventeen volumes) CIESAS-Registro Nacional Agrario, Mexico; of Serie Biografías of Colegio de Etnólogos y Antropólogos Sociales; and the "Iconografía de la Luz" (Iconography of Light) photolibrary Nacho López electronic catalog, with Ignacio Gutiérrez Ruvalcaba, CIESAS-CDI in fifty five volumes.
Since 1987 she has been a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.
In 2025 Rojas Rabiela was awarded the 2024 National Prize for Arts and Sciences in the History, Social Sciences, and Philosophy category.Bautista, Virginia. 2024 National Arts and Literature Awards are presented amid nostalgia and snub. Excelsior newspaper, Mexico, July 23, 2025 .https://www.excelsior.com.mx/expresiones/premio-artes-literatura-entre-nostalgia-desaire/1728633
Awards Francisco Javier Clavijero Award, for best doctoral thesis in history and ethnohistory, INAH, Mexico, 1985. Scientific Research Award , Social Sciences category, Mexican Academy of Sciences, Mexico, 1987. Arnaldo Orfila Reynal Award in university publishing, Social Sciences category, University of Guadalajara, Mexico, 1995. Manuel Rodríguez Lapuente Medal in Social Sciences, University of Guadalajara, Mexico, 2003. Academic Medal, Mexican Society for the History of Science and Technology, Mexico, 2004. INNOVA Recognition, Nacho López Photo Archive, National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, Mexico, 2005. Diploma for studies on the chinampas and their culture, Government of Mexico City, 2016. Recognition from the Institute of Historical Research of the Michoacana University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo, for contributions to the development of academic programs of significant institutional value, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Mexico, 2017. Recognition for influence on several generations of researchers in ethnobiology and environmental history, Mexican Society of Ethnology, 2018. Mention of Merit for work in the safeguarding and organization of archives, XVIII Citibanamex “Atanasio G. Saravia” Award for Mexican Regional History 2018–2019. Distinction as National Emeritus Researcher, awarded by the General Council of the National System of Researchers, Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías, Mexico, 2022. National Prize for Arts and Sciences in the History, Social Sciences, and Philosophy category, Mexico, 2024.
Publications Books
References
External links Review of Cultura Hidráulica y Simbolismo Mesoamericano del Agua en el México Prehispánico (Hydraulic Culture and Mesoamerican Symbolism of Water in Pre-Hispanic Mexico. In Spanish) El Colegio de Michoacán. Review of Vidas y bienes olvidados. Testamentos indígenas novohispanos (Forgotten lives and goods. Novohispano indigenous wills.) In Spanish. Publican edición facsimilar del Catálogo de la Colección de Antropología del Museo Nacional (Published facsimile edition of the Catalog of the Anthropology Collection of the National Museum, Mexico. In Spanish) Guerrero. Francisco Javier, Teresa Rojas, una magnífica entre Los Magníficos (Teresa Rojas, a magnificent among The Magnificent). La Jornada newspaper, México, June 20, 2025. https://www.jornada.com.mx/2025/06/20/opinion/016a2pol Cabello. Cristopher, El trabajo de campo se ha complicado con la violencia: Teresa Rojas Rabiela. (Fieldwork has been complicated by violence: Teresa Rojas Rabiela) El Universal newspaper, June 20, 2025, Mexico. https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/el-trabajo-de-campo-se-ha-complicado-con-la-violencia-teresa-rojas-rabiela/ Aguilar Sosa. Yanet, Teresa Rojas Rabiela entre los ganadores del Premio Nacional de Artes y Literatura 2024 de México (Teresa Rojas Rabiela among Arts and Literature National Prize 2024 winners, Mexico). El Universal newspaper, June 5, 2025, Mexico. https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/vicente-quirarte-leonardo-lopez-lujan-y-gerardo-tamez-entre-los-ganadores-del-premio-nacional-de-artes-y-literatura-2024/ Sánchez Israel, Lo que hacemos si vale la pena: Teresa Rojas. (What we do is worth it: Teresa Rojas). Reforma newspaper, June 13, 2025, Mexico. https://www.reforma.com/lo-que-hacemos-si-vale-la-pena-teresa-rojas/ar3021905 Vela Lizzette, Recomiendan a Teresa Rojas para el Premio Nacional de Artes y Literatura (Teresa Rojas recommended for 2024 Arts and Literature National Prize). e-consulta.com, news site, June 8, 2025. https://www.e-consulta.com/nota/2025-06-08/cultura/recomiendan-teresa-rojas-para-el-premio-nacional-de-artes-y-literatura