Thanks to powerful innovations in archaeology and other types of historical research, we now have a picture of everyday life in the Mayan empire that turned the long-accepted conventional wisdom on its head.
At their zenith, the Mayans built temple sites that rivaled the pyramids and the Acropolis; devised precise star charts and counting systems; and were masters of politics, farming, trade-and brutal warfare. Archaeologists believe that their landscape-deserts, rain forests, mountains, volcanoes, and coastal lowlands-played a defining role in shaping this enigmatic culture.
Ranging from the end of the Ice Age to the flourishing of Mayan culture in the first millennium to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, The Ancient Maya takes a fresh look at a culture that has long held the public's imagination. Originally thought to be peaceful and spiritual, the Mayans are now also known to have been worldly, bureaucratic, and violent. Debates and unanswered questions linger.
Mayan expert Heather McKillop shows our current understanding of the Maya, explaining how interpretations of "dirt archaeology," hieroglyphic inscriptions, and pictorial pottery are used to reconstruct the lives of royalty, artisans, priests, and common folk. She also describes the innovative focus on the interplay of the people with their environments that has helped further unravel the mystery of the Mayans' rise and fall.
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