Ancient Americas: Mayan History & Art

BONAMPAK MURALS BOOKPLATES (Sample available)
art from a photo. Condition: NEW package of 10 bookplates made by pacaritambo books. The peel-off label stock is heavier than most bookplate materials and is matte and not glossy. We can also personalize the bookplates if you like - email us the name you want on the bookplate. They are as perfect as possible, and we feel the subject matter is much different than you can get anywhere else. 4.0" H x 2.75" W. Content: Bonampak is an ancient Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is well-known for a number of murals, most especially those located within Structure 1 (The Temple of the Murals). The construction of the site’s structures dates to the Early Classic period (c. AD 580 to 800). The paintings date from 790 and were made as frescos, with no seams in the plaster indicating that each room was painted in a single session during the short time that the plaster was moist. They show the hand of a master artist with a couple of competent assistants. The three rooms show a series of actual events with great realism. (Wikipedia). This graphic is of 3 nobles. Any questions or for a sample, click here to email us.
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MAYA CALENDAR BOOKPLATES (T'ZOLKIN BOOKPLATES) (Sample available)
art by Airi Pung. Condition: NEW package of 10 bookplates made by pacaritambo books. The peel-off label stock is heavier than most bookplate materials and is matte and not glossy. They are as perfect as possible, and we feel the subject matter is much different than you can get at anywhere else. We can also personalize the bookplates if you like - just email us with the name. 3.3" H x 3.3" W. Content: This is a rendering of the Maya Calendar (T'zolkin) from ancient carvings with time divisions. Any questions or for a sample, click here to email us.
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PALENQUE BOOKPLATES (Sample available)
art by Kattalina. Condition: NEW package of 10 bookplates made by pacaritambo books. The peel-off label stock is heavier than most bookplate materials and is matte and not glossy. We can also personalize the bookplates if you like - email us the name you want on the bookplate. They are as perfect as possible, and we feel the subject matter is much different than you can get anywhere else. 4.0" H x 2.75" W. Content: Palenque (Bàak' in Modern Maya) was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD. (Wikipedia). This graphic is of the Temple of Inscriptions. Any questions or for a sample, click here to email us.
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AN ALBUM OF MAYA ARCHITECTURE
by Tatiana Proskouriakoff. B&W drawings of the city buildings and B&W photos of artifacts. Condition: Gently pre-read c. 1977 Univ. of Oklahoma soft cover, new edition, 7th priting. Problem: This book looks new - feels new - BUT almost every page has extremely neat underlining with occasional notes - which I find very interesting. A very odd combination for a book. Content: Over 1,200 years ago, a magnificent civilization towered above the jungles of Central America and southern Mexico. The highly sophisticated people who inhabited this area had built elaborately carved temples and religious compounds, only to have their achievements disappear over the centuries, destroyed by foreign conquests, earthquakes, floods, and tropical overgrowth. This book, using as background the discoveries of nineteenth-century adventurers, describes the efforts of twentieth-century archeologists who excavated and restored a number of important sites to their former architectural splendor. Today, Mayan architecture attracts not only students of pre-Columbian civilization but also tourists, historians, and anthropologists. This book, through the author's own detailed illustrations, presents 36 sites as they appeared more than a thousand years ago. Facing the illustration of each structure is a documented text of archaelogical finds and a line drawing of existing remains. Among the sites depicted are the shrine in the Temple of the Cross at Palenque; the Acropolis and a Maya sweat bath in Piedras Negras, Guatemala; the hieroglyphic stairway, ball court, and reviewing stand in Copán, Honduras; The Palace at Sayil, Yucatán; The Palace of the Governors, in Uxmal; and The Red House and platforms on the north terrace at Chichén Itzá. Archaeological references and a map of the Maya area, showing the location of illustrated sites, complete this imaginative and well-executed study of ancient Mayan architecture. Unabridged republication. [1 copy available]
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FRANS BLOM, MAYA EXPLORER
by Robert L. Brunhouse. Over 250 B&W photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW (shrink-wrapped) 1976 Univ. of New Mexico Press hardcover & DJ (I can open it and put a mylar jacket on the DJ if you like), printing not available due to the shrink-wrap. Content: This book details the life of archaeologist Frans Blom; and provides detailed picture of the Middle American Research Institute in its early years. Frans Blom (Frants Ferdinand Blom, August 9, 1893 in Copenhagen - June 23, 1963 in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico) was a Danish explorer and archaeologist. Blom was born in 1893 in Copenhagen, Denmark to a middle-class family of antique merchants. He was restless and started travelling eventually arriving in Mexico in 1919 where he found work in the oil industry as a paymaster. Travelling to remote locations in the Mexican jungle he became interested in the Maya ruins that he encountered where he was working. He started drawing and documenting these ruins. He was contracted by the Mexican National Museum of Anthropology which financed some of his expeditions. He met Sylvanus G. Morley who brought him to Harvard University in Boston and here he took a Masters degree in Archeology. He was employed at Tulane University in New Orleans and during his tenure here he undertook several expeditions to Mesoamerica. In 1923 his studies at Palenque documented a number of features neglected by earlier researchers. In 1924 Blom discovered the Maya archaeological site of Uaxactun in Guatemala. His explorations in around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec gave the first scholarly reports of a number of sites of the Olmec civilization. In 1926 he was made head of Tulane's newly established Department of Middle American Research. Excellent archaeological snapshot. [1 copy available]
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BREAKING THE MAYA CODE
by Michael D. Coe. B&W drawings and photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1994 Thames and Hudson Trade Paperback, reprint. Content: The decipherment of the Maya script was "one of the most exciting intellectual adventures of our age, on a par with the exploration of space and the discovery of the genetic code." He presents the story eloquently and in detail, with many illustrations of the mysterious Maya inscriptions and the people who tried to decipher them. Most of the credit, he says, goes to the late Yuri V. Knorosov of the Russian Institute of Ethnography, but many others participated. They did not always agree, and some of them went up blind alleys. Coe, emeritus professor of anthropology at Yale University, vividly describes the battles, missteps and successes. What is now established, he writes, is that "the Maya writing system is a mix of logograms and syllabic signs; with the latter, they could and often did write words purely phonetically." Coe concludes with a swipe at "dirt archaeologists" who believe the decipherment of Maya writing "is not worthy of notice." According to them, he asserts, "the Maya inscriptions are 'epiphenomenal,' a ten-penny word meaning that Maya writing is only of marginal application since it is secondary to those more primary institutions--economy and society--so well studied by the dirt archaeologists." Coe sees that attitude as "sour grapes" and ascribes it to "the inability or unwillingness of anthropologically trained archaeologists to admit that they are dealing with the remains of real people, who once lived and spoke." Excellent archaelogical book dealing with all aspects of the Maya Civilization. [3 copies available]
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CHICHEN ITZA
by William J. Folans. Beautiful color photos of all the sections of the city. B&W photos and drawings also. Condition: UNREAD 1984 GV (Mexico) soft cover, fourteenth edition. A small rubbing bottom front cover border. Content: This is a history and archaeological record of the Lowland Maya and the fabulous city of Chichen Itza. Extensive floor plans and photos. [1 copy available]
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CHRONICLE OF THE MAYA KINGS AND QUEENS: Deciphering The Dynasties of the Ancient Maya [2nd Edition]
by Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube. 366 illustrations with 86 in color. Color maps and drawings with B&W photos and drawings. Condition: NEW 2008 Thames & Hudson large soft cover, second edition, revised & updated, no printing given. Content: Behind the ancient cities of the Maya and their abandoned artworks lie the turbulent stories of their ruling dynasties. One of the world's greatest and most powerful civilizations, the Maya experienced constant conflict in a landscape divided among numerous kingdoms. Intense rivalries, rapacious conquerors, and repeated dynastic defeat and breakdown are common themes in many tales of this mighty civilization. The ancient Maya remain one of the most vibrant areas of study in world archaeology. Fresh discoveries in the field, together with the ongoing process of hieroglyphic decipherment, mean that information is constantly coming to light. This new version of the only comprehensive, kingdom-by-kingdom history of the ancient Maya brings the story fully up to date with previously unknown rulers and new glyphic readings, as well as additional information on diplomacy and warfare. Simon Martin is a Research Specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. For the past fourteen years he has been doing epigraphic fieldwork at Calakmul, Mexico. Nikolai Grube is a professor of anthropology at the University of Bonn. He has been closely associated with several archaeological projects, including Caracol, Belize, and Yaxha, Guatemala. [1 copy available]
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CYCLES IN TIME: The Maya Calendar
by John Montgomery. Detailed B&W drawings and charts by the Author. Condition: NEW 2007 Editorial Laura Lee, Guatemala, soft cover, second printing given. Tiny edge wear. Content: Probably the ancient world's most complex system for keeping track of time, the Maya calendar comprises a positional notation system combined with cyclical epochs used to record myth and religion and keep track of history. Written by a professional scholar of Maya hieroglyphic writing and illustrator of Precolumbian art, this book offers step-by-step instruction on reading Maya dates and interpreting their significance. John Montgomery (1951-2005) was an epigrapher and illustrator whose travels in Central America first inspired his interest in the ancient Maya. [1 copy available]
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CYCLES OF THE SUN, MYSTERIES OF THE MOON: The Calendar in Mesoamerican Civilization
by Vincent Malmstrom. Loaded with B&W photos, maps, and charts. Condition: NEW 1997 Univ. of Texas Press trade paperback, first edition. Content: The simple question "How did the Maya come up with a calendar that had only 260 days?" led Vincent Malmström to discover an unexpected "hearth" of Mesoamerican culture. In this boldly revisionist book, he sets forth his challenging, new view of the origin and diffusion of Mesoamerican calendrical systems--the intellectual achievement that gave rise to Mesoamerican civilization and culture. Malmström posits that the 260-day calendar marked the interval between passages of the sun at its zenith over Izapa, an ancient ceremonial center in the Soconusco region of Mexico's Pacific coastal plain. He goes on to show how the calendar developed by the Zoque people of the region in the fourteenth century B.C. gradually diffused through Mesoamerica into the so-called "Olmec metropolitan area" of the Gulf coast and beyond to the Maya in the east and to the plateau of Mexico in the west. These findings challenge our previous understanding of the origin and diffusion of Mesoamerican civilization. Sure to provoke lively debate in many quarters, this book will be important reading for all students of ancient Mesoamerica--anthropologists, archaeologists, archaeoastronomers, geographers, and the growing public fascinated by all things Maya. Reviewer: "Malmstrom has written a wonderfully entertaining book stuffed full of facts on the Mesoamerican systems of calendrical accounting. I had no idea the history of their calendars went so far back, nor that they were so widely used by such a great number of civilizations. His theories fill in where the facts leave off, as most studies on ancient cultures must, and the facts support his hypotheses. Malmstrom's theories on the origin of the calendar are quite different in some aspects than those of scholars before him -- one major difference is that he does not believe the Olmec developed the calendar. I don't want to ruin any surprises for a reader -- and there are some for those who accept the commonly supported theories of the Olmec as the "father" of all subsequent Mesoamerican civilizations -- so I will stop with just one more comment: If you have any interest in Mesoamerica or the cultures of the Zoque, Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Mixtec, Toltec or Aztec, GET THIS BOOK! " [1 copy available]
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EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE MAYA
by Ralph Whitlock. B&W photos and artifact drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1987 Dorset hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), 5th printing (c. 1995). Pale tanning to page edges. Content: This book describes the highly developed Mayan civilization noted for its achievements in architecture, mathematics, and astrology. Every facet of Maya life is described and documented. One of the best Maya books ever, IMHO. [1 copy available]
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THE FLIGHT OF FEATHERED SERPENT (Maya Tarot)
text and B&W illustrations by Peter Balin. Condition: Good+, 1979 Arcana large soft cover, 5th printing. Edge wear and hinge crease. Interior clean. Content: Guide to the Xultun (Mayan) Tarot Deck. Peter Balin, the painter of the Xultan Tarot deck, has written a book about the tarot and the Maya Indians' view of the world. This is a very relevant book that deals with the problems of our times. Although the approach is new and deals with American knowledge, it will serve all Tarot decks regardless of their origin. The reader journeys with the Fool towards the impeccability of the sorcerer, with each step along the way clearly defined. The graphics alone are so spellbinding that even if you are not interested in the Mayas or the tarot, there is something in this book for you. [1 copy available]
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THE HIDDEN MAYA
by Martin Brennan. Excellent B&W renderings from Maya Codex, art work, tomb artifacts, etc. Condition: UNREAD 1999 Bear & Company (Santa Fe) soft cover, first printing/light edge wear with a few small rubbings to black borders front cover (weak color on the cover). Content: The use of hand signs in art and sculpture is prevalent in many spiritual traditions, but the Maya were especially prolific in their use of handsigns or manographs in the glyphs decorating their artifacts. In "The Hidden Maya," author Martin Brennan reveals that these manographs are the keys to the very core of Maya thought. Brennan explains how hand gestures played an intrinsic role in the development of writing, and how, with a variety of dialects in the Maya lands of Central America, a commonly understood sign language developed into a complex artistic language with both mundane and esoteric meanings. Indeed, contrary to scholarly opinion it would appear that the North American Plains Indians borrowed their sophisticated sign language system from the south -- a realization that drew Brennan to the Maya in the first place. This detailed, well-illustrated journey into the hidden realms of the Maya is also testament to the intrinsic role of hand/finger manipulation in the evolution of the human brain and the development of civilization. While some of the data may (or may not) be somewhat dated, this is still an excellent resource, IMHO. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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HOW THE MAYA BUILT THEIR WORLD: Energetics and Ancient Architecture
by Elliot M. Abrams. B&W photos, drawings, maps, & charts illustrate. Condition: NEW 1994 Univ. of Texas Trade Paperback, first edition, no printing given. Very light edge wear. Content: Maya architecture is often described as "massive" and "monumental," but experiments at Copan, Honduras, convinced Elliot Abrams that 300 people could have built one of the large palaces there in only 100 days. In this groundbreaking work, Abrams explicates his theory of architectural energetics, which involves translating structures into volumes of raw and manufactured materials that are then multiplied by the time required for their production and assembly to determine the labor costs of past construction efforts. Applying this method to residential structures of the Late Classic period (A.D. 700-900) at Copan leads Abrams to posit a six-tiered hierarchic social structure of political decision making, ranging from a stratified elite to low-ranking commoners. By comparing the labor costs of construction and other economic activities, he also prompts a reconsideration of the effects of royal construction demands on commoners. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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AN ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF THE GODS AND SYMBOLS OF ANCIENT MEXICO AND THE MAYA
by Mary Miller and Karl Taube. B&W drawings, Codex entries, mpas & photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1997 Thames & Hudson Trade Paperback, no printing given. Content: The myths and beliefs of the great pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica have baffled and fascinated outsiders ever since the Spanish Conquest. Yet, until now, no single-volume introduction has existed to act as a guide to this labyrinthine symbolic world. The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya is the first-ever English-language dictionary of Mesoamerican mythology and religion. Nearly 300 entries, from accession to yoke, describe the main gods and symbols of the Olmecs, Zapotecs, Maya, Teotihuacanos, Mixtecs, Toltecs, and Aztecs. Topics range from jaguar and jester gods to reptile eye and rubber, from creation accounts and sacred places to ritual practices such as bloodletting, confession, dance, and pilgrimage. In addition, two introductory essays provide succinct accounts of Mesoamerican history and religion, while a substantial bibliographical survey directs the reader to original sources and recent discussions. Dictionary entries are illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned line drawings. Miller and Taube draw on their research in the fast-changing field of Maya studies, and on the latest Mexican discoveries, to produce an authoritative work that will serve as a standard reference for students, scholars, and travelers. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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IN SEARCH OF THE MAYA: The First Archaeologists
by Robert Brunhouse. B&W photo section. Condition: UNREAD 1990 Ballantine Books paperback, third printing. Bookstore embossed seal bottom title page. Light edge wear. Content: This book gives us the fascinating portraits of the adventurous early explorers who discovered the most extraordinary of all ancient Western civilizations. "From the end of the eighteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth, a handful of investigators braved the dangers of the unknown and discovered the fascinating and spectacular history of a lost culture. Early explores such as Dupaix, who accepted a commission from Charles IV, discovered remarkable achievements and disappeared suddenly after his third expedition. Or the lawyer John L Stephens, who covered more territory and examined more Mayan sites than any previous explorer and made the first record of Mayan accomplishments. And there was the physician Le Piongeon, who claims to discovered a race of giants and dwarfs, and encountered the legendary Chacmool-The Tiger King." [1 copy available]
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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE MAYA HIEROGLYPHS
by Sylvanus Griswold Morley (Carnegie Institution). 117 B&W drawings, charts, & maps illustrate. Condition: UNREAD c. 1975 Dover Trade Paperback, no printing given. Content: This is an unabridged reproduction of the original 1915 work published by the Government Printing Office. While some of the original drawings were in color, all of these are in B&W. A new introduction and bibliography by J. Eric S. Thompson for this edition. Best introduction to the topic—easily accessible to beginners. Extremely full in interpretation; very thorough in exposition of variants and unusual features, with reproductions of many inscriptions unavailable elsewhere. Material from Old and New Empires. Reviewer: "If you're interested in the fascinating and complex world of Maya hieroglyphs and calendrics, and searching for a book that provides an easily understandable introduction into this rather complicated realm, then look no further. Despite being over 80 years old, Morley's book is still the perfect beginner's playfield, combining logical structure, extremely detailed explanations and lots of examples to create a highly readable volume that's both scientifically brilliant and understandable for everyone at the same time. It is of course not a complete reference guide, having been written long before the recent decipherments of Maya writing and before all the calendric glyphs were known, with the short historical section being badly dated - but that's secondary. It wants to help readers with their first steps into its subject matter, the Maya calendar glyphs, and that it does with commendable ease and clarity. This book was the principal starting point of many a major player in the field of epigraphy, and this it could well remain for the next generation of researchers and armchair-archaeologists alike. To buy or not to buy? No question here." There is a newer printing but not a new edition. [1 copy available]
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JOURNEY OF THE NIGHTLY JAGUAR
by Burton Alberty. wonderful soft color illustratins by Robert Roth. Condition: NEW 1996 Atheneum Books for Young Readers hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: Inspired by the glyphs on a Mayan terra-cotta urn, Albert has written this evocative poem whose primitive cadence and descriptive vocabulary suggest the simplistic, primordial beliefs of the ancient people. The setting sun and raindrops become a jaguar at night, stalking in the jungle, in this story inspired by the markings on a terracotta urn made by the Mayans sometime between the seventh and tenth centuries C.E.. Albert notes in the introduction that the Mayans believed the gods sometimes took the form of animals. In the main text, the jaguar hunts at night, becomes the morning sun, and rises a glorious red. The poetic text sometimes strings a sentence over as many as six pages, pushing readers forward, while dreamy scenes of soft pink, purple, and green watercolors and torn, textured paper draw readers in for careful looking. A most unusual book for exceptional children ages 4 - 8. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE LOST HISTORY OF AZTEC & MAYA: The history, legend, myth and culture of the ancient native peoples of Mexico and Central America
by Charles Phillips. Consultant: Dr. David M. Jones. Beautiful color photos of artifacts, maps, and locations. Condition: NEW 2007 Hermes huge soft cover, third printing. Content: This is a highly readable, authoritative history of Mesoamerica and its many peoples, from the Olmecs and Maya to the Toltecs and Aztecs. Fully illustrated throughout with more than 500 full-color photos, artworks and maps of places, objects and original documents. packed with fascinating insights into history and mythology providing useful reference material for study at home and college. Olmec, Maya, Chichimec, Huastec, Zapotec, Toltec, Mixtec, Totonac, and Aztec. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 15.49 + $ 3.49 media shipping. International shipping upon arrangement.

MAYA COSMOGENESIS 2012
by JOhn Major Jenkins. Intro by Terence McKenna. Loaded with B&W drawings and Codes repros. Condition: Good only condition, 1998 Bear & Co. (Santa Fe) large soft cover, first priting. Problems: separation between top front cover and spine; significant edge wear; underlining to page 43 at which point it appears the book was abandoned. The rest of the book is clean & tight. Content: While researching the 2012 end-date of the Maya Calendar, John Major Jenkins decoded the Maya's galactic cosmology. The Maya discovered that the periodic alignment of the Sun with the center of the Milky Way galaxy is the formative influence on human evolution. These alignments also define a series of World Ages. The fourth age ends on December 21, 2012, when an epoch chapter in human history will come to an end. Maya Cosmogenisis 2012 reveals the Maya's insight into the cyclic nature of time, and prepares us for our own cosmogenesis--the birth of a new world. The extensive research by John Major Jenkins into the Mayan astronomy and mysteries is very impressive indeed, and his book will no doubt become a classic in this field of study. Maya Cosmogenesis 2012 is a must-read for all those who feel that there is far more to our ancient past than meets the eye. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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MAYA HISTORY & RELIGION
by J. Eric S. Thompson. Foreword by David Pendergast and Elizabeth Graham. B&W photo section with B&W drawings througout. Condition: Very gently pre-read, if at all, 1990 University of Oklahoma Press Trade Paperback, first printing. 415 pages. Content: Thompson, dean of Maya scholars, has written an important book - he analyzes maya religious beliefs and creation myths, as well as the importance of tobacco and its uses, in order to show the continuity of Maya culture from the beginning of the Christian era to the present. Beautifully written and well-documents. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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MAYA: The Riddle And Rediscovery of a Lost Civilization (3rd Revised Ed.)
by Charles Gallenkamp. Two large B&W photo sections. Condition: NEW 1987 Penguin Trade Paperback, 3rd revised edition, 11th printing. Perfect condition. Content: Reviewer: "Mr. Gallenkamp's short book provides a good, informative introduction into the history of the Maya. He has included a synopsis of each era, focusing on the Classic; and he gives helpful details about the transitions from one age to the next. He also has written some fascinating chapters about the stories of the churchmen, explorers, and archeologists who first dared define the Maya: Landa, Stephens, Thompson, Ruz, et. al. In my nascent studies of the Maya, this short history has given me enough knowledge and information to feel comfortable while challenging my imagination and curiousity to continue on my journey." Classic history and archaeology! [1 copy available]
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MAYA ARCHAEOLOGIST
by J. Eric S. Thompson. Foreword by Norman Hammond. B&W era photo section plus B&W drawings throughout. Condition: NEW 1971 Univ of Oklahoma Press Trade Paperback edition (c. 2000+), 5th printing. Bookstore price marked out top corner loose end page. Content: This is an autobiographical account of explorations in Mayan ruins by J. Eric Thompson, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Maya Indians of Mexico and Central America. Based on his expeditions from 1926 to 1936 - when conditions in the Maya area were very close to those in the years of the Conquest - this book is an intensely personal account of the investigation of the "stone cities," such as Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, Copán, Tikal, and Quirigua, as well as lively portraits of the archaeologists who probed this civilization Excellent. [1 copy available]
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MAYA DIORAMAS TO CUT AND ASSEMBLE: Full-Color Three-Dimensional Scenes of Chichen Itza and Tulum
by Matthew Kalmenoff. Excellent color art - and historically correct. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1989 Dover soft cover, no printing given. The cover shows edge wear. Interior perfect. 2 short pieces of Scotch tape on the back cover - no idea why, but they shouldn't be removed. Content: Recreate the splendor, mystery and daily life of an ancient civilization with these exciting diorams of two major Mayan cities. Meticulously rendered by Kalmenoff, spectacular three-D scenes depit in full color the magnificient pre-Columbian cities of Chichen Itza dn Tulum. Complete instructions make it easy to assemble remarkably accurate and highly detailed diorams. Text details the history of the Mayas and these cities. Excellent for homeschooling. [2 copies available]
$ 8.69 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

MAYA LAND In Color (Profiles of America series)
by Walter R. Aguiar. Wonderful color photos of monumentws and cities. B&W maps. Condition: UNREAD 1978 Hastings House hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), assumed first prnting. Content: While this is an older book and is out-of-date in some areas, it is a wonderful look at the Maya civilization based on its physical artefacts - buildings, stele, cities. Excellent. [1 copy available]
$ 4.89 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

THE MAYA WORLD (Revised Edition)
by Elizabeth P. Benson. 60+ B&W photos and drawings. Condition: UNREAD 1977 Crowell Trade Paperback, revised edition. Very light edge wear. Content: Yes, this is an older book and some of the information may be dated, BUT the importance of this book lies in the illustrations, IMHO. Wonderful B&W recreations, detailed Codes drawings, and artifact photos. Excellent. [1 copy available]
$ 4.89 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

THE MAYAS: Life, Culture and Art Through the Experiences of a Man of the Time
by Demetrio Sodi M. B&W drawings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1989 Panorama (Mexico) paperback, 7th English printing. Tiny edgewear & some light shelfwear handling. Interior very clean. Content: Part archaeology, part history, and part historical fiction - a unique book to say the least. The history of the Mayan world during the Post-Classic Period is told through the eyes of KEH - the birth and life of this one man is the background against which unfolds an extraordinary account of the customs, art, religion, science and social, political and economic organization of the Mayas. Of course, some of it is dated, but most is not. Certainly worth your time. Demetrio Sodi M. is a renowned archeologist, writer, and expert on Indian culture. Exciting work. Also inclues a ghossay of Mayan words. [1 copy available]
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THE MAYAS: Life, Culture and Art Through the Experiences of a Man of the Time
by Demetrio Sodi M. Wonderful, detailed B&W drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1983 Panorama (Mexico) paperback, third English edition. Content: Part archaeology, part history, and part historical fiction - a unique book to say the least. The history of the Mayan world during the Post-Classic Period is told through the eyes of KEH - the birth and life of this one man is the background against which unfolds an extraordinary account of the customs, art, religion, science and social, political and economic organization of the Mayas. Of course, some of it is dated, but most is not. Certainly worth yoru time. Demetrio Sodi M. is a renowned archeologist, writer, and expert on Indian culture. Exciting work. Also inclues a ghossay of Mayan words. [1 copy available]
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MESOAMERICAN MYTH: A Treasury of Central American Legends, Art, and History
by Anita Ganeri. Beautiful color photos, drawings, and Codex repros. Condition: NEW 2007 Chartwell Books (UK) soft cover, first printing. Content: The Aztec and Mayan civilizations both had a rich collection of myths that sought to explain and define the natural world and their own customs and beliefs. Discover the role of religion in these incredibly sophisticated cultures, including the significance of the "fifth sun," and visit the extraordinary cities of Tenochtitlan and Palenque. Although stated for grades 8-12, anyone interested in Mesoamerican and Ancient American mythology will love this book! [1 copy available]
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A MILLENNIUM OF WEAVING IN CHIAPAS:
an Introduction to the Pellizzi Collection of Chiapas Textiles
text by Walter F. Morris (text). Photograhy by Jeffrey Jay Foxx and Micaela Guirk. B&W and color photos. Condition: Very Good, gently pre-read Trade Paperback published by Gobierno del Estado de Chiapas, Mexico. Small edgewear. Interior clean & tight. Content: The story of the art of weaving from the ancient Mayas to the work of their descendants in Chiapas. Beautifull illustrated with color and B&W photos and drawings from Bonampak to the Highlands of Mexico of today. "In the beginning of the world the Goddess of the Moon taught women to weave and to brocade sacred designs." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE MYSTERY OF THE MAYAN HIEROGLYPHS: The Vision of an Ancient Tradition
by Richard Luxton with Pablo Balam. B&W photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1982 Harper & Row Trade Paperback, first US Edition, first printing. This copy has problems: 2 diagonal crases bottom front cover corner and serious rubbings along the front hinge. The interior has moderate tanning to page edges. Content: This is the story of Mayan hieroglyphic writing remembered and interpreted by a contemporary Mayan Indian, don Pablo Balam, working with a young Anglo-Peruvian writer, Luxton. Pablo Balam's words are the only explanation of Mayan sacred writing given to outsides since the pre-Columbian culture was repressed by the Spanish invaders. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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MYTHOLOGY THE THE AZTECS AND MAYA: Myths & Legends of Ancient Mexico and Northrn Central America
by David M. Jones. Beautiful color photos and maps with a few B&W artifact photos. Condition: NEW 2003 Arness large soft cover, no printing given. Content: This is an authoritative and accessible guide to the myths and legens of the Aztecs and Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples and cultures. Moe than 200 A-to_Z entries describe the central beliefs of each ulture and their importance in the daily life of Mesoamerican peoples. 150+ color images. [1 copy available]
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PALENQUE: Eternal City of the Maya
by David Stuart and George Stuart. 1 B&W photo section plus 2 beautiful color photo sections. B&W drawings througout. Condition: NEW 2008 Thames & Hudson hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), no printing given. Content: The story of the city's rediscovery, deep in the forest-clad mountains of southeastern Mexico, told with panache by two leading Maya scholars. Sunday, June 15, 1952. Having spent four years clearing a secret passage inside Palenque's Temple of the Inscriptions, Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz gazed into a vaulted chamber. There, beneath a gigantic carved stone block, he would make a spectacular discovery: the intact burial of King Pakal, complete with jade jewelry and an exquisite burial mask. Pakal was one of the greatest ancient rulers and the most prominent among a long line of monarchs who held sway at Palenque from AD 300 to 800. This "queen of Maya cities," as Palenque has been called, fell into ruin and was abandoned along with other great urban centers when Maya civilization suffered a mysterious collapse more than 1000 years ago. Through the eyes of David and George Stuart, we travel with pioneer artists and archaeologists from the eighteenth century on as they rediscovered Palenque and attempted, in the oppressive tropical heat, to document the city's graceful and ornate palaces, temples, bas-reliefs, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. These inscriptions lay largely unread until, in the late twentieth century, major breakthroughs in decipherment revealed Palenque's history. David Stuart, one of the leading decipherers, portrays a lost world of palace intrigue, of brilliant architects, of gods and revered ancestors. Today Palenque, proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a place of new reverence and relevance for millions of modern Maya, New Age spiritualists, and all those fascinated by the history of the Maya. 150 illustrations, 40 in color Excellent!!! Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE RABBIT ON THE FACE OF THE MOON: Mythology in the Mesoamerican Tradition
by Alfredo Lopez Austin. Translated by Bernard Ortiz de Montellano & Theoma Ortiz de Montellano. B&W decorations and drawings. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1996 Univ. Utah Press Trade Paperback, no printing given. Problem: Tiny edge wear AND this was my book I never got around to reading (shame on me! I know) and for some reason I dogearred one page - so. . . Content: Eighteen essays provide an accessible, entertaining look into a system of millennia-old legends and beliefs. Mythology is one of the great creations of humankind. It forms the core of sacred books and reflects the deepest preoccupations of human beings, their most intimate secrets, their glories, and their infamies. In 1990, Alfredo López Austin, one of the foremost scholars of ancient Mesoamerican thought, began a series of essays about mythology in the Mesoamerican tradition, published in México Indígena. Although his articles were written for general readers, they were also intended to engage specialists. They span a divers subject matter: myths and names, eclipses, stars, left and right, Méxican origins, Aztec incantations, animals, and the incorporation of Christian elements into the living mythologies of Mexico. The title essay relates the Mesoamerican myth explaining why there is a rabbit o the moon’s face to a Buddhist image and suggests the importance of the profound mythical concepts presented by each image. The eighteen essays in this volume are unified by their basis in Mesoamerican tradition and provide an accessible, entertaining look into a system of millennia-old legends and beliefs. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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READING THE PAST: MAYA GLYPHS
by S. D. Houston. B&W photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1989 University of California Press/British Museum Trade Paperback, second impression. Content: A great introduction to the study of Maya Glyphs used from before AD 250 until well after the Spanish invasion. While the research into the Maya civilization and its "language" is changing almost daily, this is still a good basic first text for the layman. [1 copy available]
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REMARKABLE REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT PEPLES OF GUATEMALA (The Maya)
text and spectacular color and B&W photos by Jacques VanKirk and Parney Bassett-VanKirk. Condition: NEW 1997 University of Okalahoma Press huge soft cover (11.9 x 9 x 0.6 inches , 288 pages), first printing. Content: The VanKirks have produced a wonderful photographic record of the regions of the Maya of Guatemala and other Pre-Columbian peoples of the area. The photos cover The South Coast; The Lowlands; and The Highlands. Excellent! [1 copy available]
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THE RISE AND FALL OF MAYA CIVILIZATION (Second Edition, Enlarged)
by J. Eric S. Thompson. Two B&W photo sections plus B&W photos and drawings througout. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 1970 Univ. of Oklahoma Press hardcover, second edition, enlarged, third printing. Problem: DJ shows edge wear and has been price clipped as it was a gift complete with gift inscription on the loose end page. Interior clean & tight. Content: Reviewer: This is a great historical overview. It was one of the first modern comprehensive histories and helped usher in the new era of Maya studies which are refreshing and reviewing all that we knew and know of this amazing civilization. Helps us all understand real origins and the true reasons for collapse, and push back against the need for aliens from outer space to explain any strange artifact unearthed by archaeologists." A classic in Maya studies. [1 copy available]
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SAN RAFAEL: A Central American City Through the Ages
by Xavier Hernandez. Detailed & historically accurate B&W illustrations by Jordi Ballonga, and Josep Escofet. Translated by Kathleen Leverich. Condition: Gently pre-read 1992 Houghton Mifflin hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. No problems, just pre-read. Content: In the first centuries after the birth of Christ, a unique civilization rose out of Central America's tropical forests. The Mayan people created an agricultural society and built spectacular religious centers that served as hubs of vast, densely populated regions. They managed these feats in a jungle environment totally unsuited to the growth of cities and the successful practice of farming, and did so with only the most basic technology at their disposal. Hernandez uses a ficticious city as the prototype for all Central American cities of Mayan descent. Each stage in its development, from its birth as a small village 3000 years ago, through its uncertain future in the late 20th century, is examined in double-page spreads. For each time period, a detailed architectural rendering provides a panoramic view of San Rafael and the surrounding area. A half-page inset then diagrams that scene, identifying land usages, buildings, and infrastructure. Text and additional pen-and-ink illustrations explain other aspects of Mayan society that, after rising out of the jungle to glory, collapsed in ruin to emerge as a mixture of Spanish colonialism and New World cultures. The text is brief but clearly written, offering readers a great deal of information in a small amount of space. Although most children will be fascinated by the intricate detail, some may be confused by the terrain analysis and overwhelmed by the volume of textual and visual material. [While this is recommended for Junior High School kids, adults are most likely to enjoy this book more, IMHO.] Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 7.79 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

SCRIBES, WARRIORS AND KINGS: The City of Copan and the Ancient Maya
by William L. Fash. B&W detailed drawings by Barbara Fash. 120 illustrations, 11 in color. Condition: UNREAD, but perused on the shelf, 1992 Thames & Hudson hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), assumed first impression. Light edge wear to DJ top edge. Content: A classic in Maya history. Written by an archaeologist for others in the profession, this book presents a short history of Copan, a well-excavated ruin in Honduras. Prevailing theory is that Mayan stelai commemorate real people and events. The researchers at Copan have recognized a dynasty of 16 kings beginning with K'inich Yax K'uk Mo' in 426 A.D. and ending with Yax Pac in 820 A.D. During those four centuries, the city-state of Copan rose, flourished, and declined. Fash, director of the Copan Mosaics Project, celebrates more than a century of work at this site: the reader learns as much about Mayan archaeological progress as about Copan. Magnificent photographs and drawings enliven a dry text. This excellent report from a major research site should be in all academic collections that support archaeology. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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SECRETS IN STONE: All About Maya Hieroglyphs
by Lauie Coulter. Vivid and historically accurate color illustrations by Sarah Jane English. Condition: NEW 2001 Madison Press/Little, Brown hardcover (pictorial boards -no DJ issued), first printing. Content: Though she includes information on the rediscovery of Mayan culture, ruins, and aspects of daily life, Coulter's focus is on the decipherment and usage of the Mayan syllabary. The author includes the false steps as well as the progress of 19th- and 20th-century researchers and, on many pages, uses "glyph searches" and other hooks to encourage readers to examine carefully the illustrations, which consist of high-quality photos of sites and artifacts, detailed drawings, and clear reproductions. The calendar, ways of naming and identifying people, and counting are all explained in straightforward fashion and in each case the information serves to further the author's goal of making readers think about how these symbols worked and to put them to use. The star attraction is the "Glyphmaster," a spread that provides common signs in relief so that children can make rubbings. There are glyphs for animals, colors, and people, plus a version of the alphabet in which letters are represented by symbols approximating those sounds, even though the text explains that the Mayan system produces syllables, not individual letters. Combining historical information with activity-based ideas. Grades 3 - 6. Adults will also appreciate this book! Questions welcome. [3 copies available.]
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STAIRWAYS TO THE STARS: Skywatching in Three Great Ancient Cultures
by Anthony Aveni. B&W photos and detailed drawings of astronomical observation sites. Condition: NEW 1996 John Wiley & Sons hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: With little or no technology, many ancient societies achieved significant understanding of the movements and cycles of the moon, sun, planets, and stars. The primary difference between their astronomy and ours is that they believed the sky served as a connection between the natural and spiritual world, while our Western view of science dictates an objective, quantifiable, and measurable existence. Using the findings of the last decade, Aveni (Behind the Crystal Ball) examines the astronomy of three ancient societies: Great Britain and Stonehenge; the Mayas and the cult of Venus; and the Incas and the city of Cuzco, built as a vast observatory. Also included is a chapter on "naked eye" observing that allows readers to see the night sky as did our ancient ancestors. This book is not as much a history of astronomy, but a focused survey of the beliefs and astronomy of three ancient cultures and how they compare and contrast with the prevailing way that Western society watches the night sky. [1 copy available]
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STAR GODS OF THE MAYA: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies)
by Susan Milbrath. B&W Codex drawings, charts, and photos illustrate. Codex Madrid cover art. Condition: NEW 1999 Univ. of Texas large soft cover, no printing given. Content: Reviewer: "In her brilliant, beautifully researched book, Susan Milbrath uses her extensive knowledge of Mayan art to recreate the structure of the Maya's astronomy and cosmology and, even more importantly, to celebrate their mysterious beauty. Star Gods is a splendid book written by an amazing art historian at the peak of her powers." This book is destined to become a standard reference work on Maya archaeoastronomy.... [It provides] a basic, sound, and utterly comprehensive introduction to the subject of ancient Maya astronomy. [2.5 pounds] Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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STOLEN CONTINENTS: Conquest and Resistance In The Americas
by Ronald Wright. B&W photo section. Condition: NEW 2000 Phoenix (UK) large Trade Paperback 424 pages), no printing given. Content: Clear and concise history detailing the experiences of Native Americans on both continents from 1492 to 1990, from travel-writer and Mayan specialist Wright. Rather than attempt a comprehensive rendering of the centuries of genocide practiced by those who came in the wake of Columbus, Wright sensibly opts to present a few of the "highlights." The savagery practiced against five major cultures - the Maya, Inca, Aztec, Cherokee, and Iroquois - and their responses appear in three stages, encompassing five hundred years: the initial periods of contact in each case; the hard and bloody struggles of these peoples once the battle was joined; and the modern phase, in which resistance continues along with the resolve to endure. Using contemporary native accounts wherever possible, in the belief that the white version has been heard often enough, Wright recounts Montezuma's failed strategy to welcome Cortes as an equal, which led to his palace becoming his prison; the Cherokee Nation's willingness two centuries later to emulate Western civilization, which only brought forced removal to Oklahoma and death along the Trail of Tears; and other base betrayals. Even with their societies largely destroyed, however, retention of an indigenous identity for the Incan descendants in Peru and their Mayan counterparts in Guatemala, and events such as last year's tense standoff between defiant Iroquois and thousands of Canadian troops can be seen, Wright says, as evidence that a determined native resistance continues. Familiar facts but a distinctive viewpoint: an intensely partisan chronicle of centuries of dishonor, written in a fluid, vivid style. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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TIME AMONG THE MAYA: Travels in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico
by Ronald Wright. B&W drawings. Condition: Gently pre-read, if at all, 1990 Penguin Trade paperback, first printing. Light tanning to page edges with light edge wear. Content: The Maya of Central America have been called the Greeks of the New World. In the first millennium C. E. they created the most intellectually and artistically advanced civilization of the Americas, and in ensuring centuries, as neighbouring empires fell in warfare and to the Spanish Invasion, the Maya endured, shaken but never destroyed. Wright takes us along to ancient and modern sites inhabited by Mayan Indians in Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico and concludes that the Maya are not facing extinction from the onslaught of "civilization" into their areas, but, on the contrary are surviving as they always have, by grafting new ways onto an ancient base. Spanish conquistadors found cities in America which far surpassed anything in Europe--with tall buildings and an accurate calendar. While the book offers a fine overview of Mayan civilization, it is not for the faint-hearted: It is quite scholarly. Readers interested in the calendar and the Mayan time reference will find this book valuable. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 4.00 + $ 3.09 media shipping.

TIME AND REALITY IN THE THOUGHT OF THE MAYA (Second Edition, Enlarged)
by Miguel Leon-Portilla. B&W drawings (some Codex) with B&W photos. Appendix by Alfonso Villa Rojas & the Author. Translated by the Author, Charles Boiles & Fernando Horcasitas. Condition: NEW c. 2000 Univ. of Oklahoma Press Trade Paperback, second editon, enlarged, 5th printing. Content: In this second English-language edition of one of his most notable works, Miguel León-Portilla explores the Maya Indians’ remarkable concepts of time. At the book’s first appearance Evon Z. Vogt, Curator of Middle American Ethnology in Harvard University, predicted that it would become "a classic in anthropology," a prediction borne out by the continuing critical attention given to it by leading scholars. Like no other people in history, the ancient Maya were obsessed by the study of time. Their sages framed its cycles with tireless exactitude. Yet their preoccupation with time was not limited to calendrics; it was a central trait in their evolving culture. In this absorbing work León-Portilla probes the question, What did time really mean for the ancient Maya in terms of their mythology, religious thought, worldview, and everyday life? In his analysis of key Maya texts and computations, he reveals one of the most elaborate attempts of the human mind to penetrate the secrets of existence. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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TULUM: A Practical Guide and Photo Album (English Edition)
by Xavier Alducin Varela. Beautiful color photos and color maps illustrate. Condition: NEW 2005 ESF (Mexico) soft cover, 20th edition. Content: This is a beautiful guide to the wonders of Tulum (Mayas-by-the-sea or the Riveria Maya. Most likely this is a booklet sold for tourists. It covers history, art, and religion. Simply wonderful. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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UNFINISHED CONVERSATIONS: Mayas and Foreigners Between Two Wars
by Paul Sullivan. B&W era photos throughout. Lovely Catherwood painting cover art. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1990 Borzoi hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, no printing given. DJ has edgewear top back edge at flap. Interior perfect. Tanning to white flap edges. Content: This book is a mixture of the ancient and the modern. Reviewer: "This book succeeds on many levels. It is a travelogue, a history, a social study, and a prophesy. It follows the relationship of the great Mayanist, Sylvanius Morley, with the Maya of Quintana Roo. Showing both the political and personal motivations of both parties the work unfolds like a beautiful flower. It raises question both cosmological and profane. From the Mayan conception of the "end of days" to American and European political intervention in Latin American affairs this work is crucial to understanding how the Mayan maids, bartenders, taxi-drivers, et al, view us gingos as we run roughshod over the indigenous culture in places like Cancun. A bell-weather for cultural awareness and understanding." [1 copy available]
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THE WORLD OF THE ANCIENT MAYA
by John S. Henderson. B&W photos and drawings plus color photo section. Condition: NEW 1997 Cornell University Press huge hardcover [1.2 x 9.0 x 10.0 (329 pages)] second edition, first printing. Content: Since it was first published in 1981, this book has established itself as an extraordinarily accomplished--comprehensive, elegantly written, and concise--introduction to the rich Maya culture. In this edition, John S. Henderson has thoroughly revised the text and added a wealth of new photographs and drawings. Henderson explores the entire Maya cultural tradition, from the earliest traces of settlement through the period of the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century. The ancient Mayas were the only fully literate precolumbian people in the Americas, and Henderson incorporates deciphered Maya texts in his reconstruction of ancient Maya societies. Superb scientists, the Mayas developed a very sophisticated mathematics and an intricate and accurate calendar system. Theirs was one of the few complex societies to emerge in and to adapt successfully to a tropical forest environment. Their architecture, sculpture, and painting were sophisticated and compellingly beautiful. [2 copies available]
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WORLD OF THE MAYA
by Victor W. Von Hagen. B&W illustrations by Alberto Beltran. B&W photo section. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1960 Mentor-NAL paperback, 9th printing. Light edewear with light tanning. Content: A history of the Mayas and their resplendent civilization that grew out of the jungles and wastelands of Central America. Archaeology reveals the wonders of Maya art and architecture and the enigma of their calendar and hieroglyphic writings. Obviously, some of the information in this book is now dated, but it is a classic in Maya history and is worth the read. [1 copy available]
$ 2.50 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

WORLD OF THE MAYA
by Victor W. Von Hagen. B&W illustrations by Alberto Beltran. B&W photo section. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1960 Mentor-NAL paperback, 9th printing. Light edewear with light tanning. Content: A history of the Mayas and their resplendent civilization that grew out of the jungles and wastelands of Central America. Archaeology reveals the wonders of Maya art and architecture and the enigma of their calendar and hieroglyphic writings. Obviously, some of the information in this book is now dated, but it is a classic in Maya history and is worth the read. [2 copies available]
$ 2.50 + $ 3.19 shipping.