The Maya (Tenth Edition)

Michael D. Coe · Stephen Houston

2023 · Ebook · Thames & Hudson

Files: epub (164 MB), kfx (165 MB)

The Maya has long been established as the best, most readableintroduction to the New World’s greatest ancient civilization. Inthese pages Michael D. Coe distills a lifetime’s scholarship forthe general reader and student.The eighth edition incorporates the latest archaeological andepigraphic research. Among the finest new discoveries are thespectacular polychrome murals of Calakmul, which provide archaeologicalevidence for the importance of marketplaces in the ClassicMaya cities as well as giving a unique glimpse into Maya daily life.Other recent finds relate to the initial peopling of the Maya areaby Early Hunters and Archaic peoples.It is clear that the birth of Maya civilization lies not in the Classicbut in the Preclassic period, above all in the Mirador Basin of northernGuatemala, where the builders of gigantic ancient cities erected theworld’s largest pyramid as early as 200 BC. In addition, the persistentinfluence of the precocious Olmec civilization of southeast Mexicoon the development of complex society in the Maya area has becomemore apparent. These and other discoveries continue to suggest thatwe must rethink what we mean by the term “Classic.”This edition concludes with new historical evidence for the crucialrole played by collaborationist native leaders, both Maya and non-Maya, in the Spanish conquest of the region.

Review

The definitive history of the Maya, fully updated with the latest archaeological studies and featuring full-color illustrations. The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the ancient Maya by experts Michael D. Coe and Stephen Houston. In this new edition, this classic has been updated by distilling the latest scholarship for the general reader and student. This edition incorporates the most recent archaeological and epigraphic findings, which continue to proceed at a fast pace, along with full-color illustrations. The new material includes evidence of the earliest human occupants of the Maya region and the beginnings of agriculture and settled life; analysis from lidar on swampy areas, such as Usumacinta, that show enormous rectangle earthworks, including Aguada Fénix, dating from 1050 to 750 BCE; and recent advances in decoding Maya writing and imagery. This revised edition also expands information on the roles of women, courtiers, and outsiders; covers novel research about Maya cities, including research into water quality, marketplaces, fortifications, and integrated road systems; and includes coverage of more recent Maya, including their displacement and mistreatment, along with growing affirmations of their cultural identity and legal rights. The Maya highlights the vitality of current scholarship about this brilliant culture.