National Geographic Host, Archaeologist, Photographer, Visual Artist

Originally from El Salvador, Fabio Esteban Amador is an archaeologist, photographer, and visual artist whose work bridges scientific research and creative practice. He studied at the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts in New York City before earning both a master's degree and a doctorate in Mesoamerican archaeology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

As part of his doctoral research, Fabio Esteban excavated ancient Maya sites across the Yucatán Peninsula, investigating how Maya communities expressed and constructed identity through art and iconography. His research has since expanded across Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, the southwestern United States, and, most recently, the Franco-Cantabrian region of Europe. There, he has focused on exploring and documenting Paleolithic cave art using multimodal, multi-resolution recording technologies that support conservation while making these extraordinary sites accessible through immersive virtual experiences for both specialists and the broader public.

Alongside his archaeological research, Fabio Esteban was a founding member of Foundation OLAS, an organization dedicated to building local capacity for the systematic documentation of submerged archaeological sites. He has also served as a Program and Science Officer at the National Geographic Society and as host of the National Geographic television series Mysteries of the Underworld.

Across his visual practice, Fabio Esteban brings together art and science, exploration and imaging, creating multimedia works that explore themes of culture, identity, and heritage. These ideas are expressed through installations, painting, photography, and visual narratives. His work has been featured in National Geographic magazine, iWatch, and Tres Tiempos Magazine, and exhibited at the National Geographic Museum, the National Museum of Anthropology Dr. David J. Guzmán in San Salvador, the Museum of the City of New York, and numerous public and private galleries. His work has also appeared in National Geographic's online Explorer's Journal