Río Azul

Río Azul
Author: Richard E. W. Adams
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 282
Release: 1999
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780806130767

Deep within the forest in northern Guatemala lie the ruins of Río Azul, a Maya city that reached one-third the size of Tikal. Discovered and partially explored in the early 1960s, Río Azul and the surrounding region were more fully investigated between 1983 and 1987 by an archaeological team led by Richard E. W. Adams. In this summary, Adams integrates the findings of field archaeologists with those of the epigraphers and art historians to recreate the life of this Maya city from the little-known Early Classic period. Remains in the Río Azul area date from 900 B.C. to A.D. 850. The data indicate that, unlike most Maya cities that have been studied, Río Azul was a frontier town, an administrative center, with alternating defense and trade outpost functions. About A.D. 385, the Río Azul region was conquered and the city founded by Tikal, serving as a Teotihuacan-linked garrison for that capital. Nearly all of the more than seven hundred structures found within Río Azul were erected between A.D. 390 and 530. Acres of pavement were laid down around some thirty complexes of residences, temples, and tombs notable for the brightly painted red hieroglyphs and murals on their walls. The elaborate complexes and sumptuous artifacts suggest a city with a heavy proportion of aristocratic families and retainers. Around A.D. 530, Río Azul appears to have been suddenly destroyed. The city was abandoned, then reoccupied--only to stagnate and finally collapse, like many other Classic Maya cities, in the late ninth century.

The Ancient Maya, 6th Edition

The Ancient Maya, 6th Edition
Author: Robert J. Sharer
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 986
Release: 2006
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780804748179

The rich findings of recent exploration and research are incorporated in this completely revised and greatly expanded sixth edition of this standard work on the Maya people. New field discoveries, new technical advances, new successes in the decipherment of Maya writing, and new theoretical perspectives on the Maya past have made this new edition necessary.

Mesoamerica's Ancient Cities

Mesoamerica's Ancient Cities
Author: William M. Ferguson
Publisher: UNM Press
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2001
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780826328007

The authors have thoroughly revised the text for this new edition, and they have added over thirty new photographs and illustrations as well as a completely new chapter by Richard E. W. Adams on regional states and empires in ancient Mesoamerica."--BOOK JACKET.

Science, Technology, and Latin American Narrative in the Twentieth Century and Beyond

Science, Technology, and Latin American Narrative in the Twentieth Century and Beyond
Author: Jerry Hoeg
Publisher: Lehigh University Press
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2000
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780934223614

"This book seeks to elucidate both the historical and the present responses of a technologically dependent culture to the discourse of science and technology, as these responses are represented in its literature. Additionally, the book endeavors to analyze the mutual influences of science, technology, and literature in order to ascertain the degree to which literature does serve, and might serve, to transform the roles of technology in Latin American society."--BOOK JACKET.

Viva Travel Guides Guatemala

Viva Travel Guides Guatemala
Author: Paula Newton
Publisher: Viva Publishing Network
Total Pages: 850
Release: 2011
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 0982558546

This book, the most-up-to-date guide to Guatemala, is all you need to explore the heart of the Mayan world. Whether you want to wander the steamy, jungle ruins of Tikal, climb the active cone of the Volcan de Fuego, stroll the cobblestone streets of Antigua, or browse through traditional indigenous markets, VIVA will help you get the most from your time in this beautiful country.

Ancient Maya Political Economies

Ancient Maya Political Economies
Author: Marilyn A. Masson
Publisher: Rowman Altamira
Total Pages: 452
Release: 2002
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780759100817

Ancient Maya Political Economies examines variation in systems of economic production and exchange and how these systems supported the power networks that integrated Maya society. Using models originally developed by William L. Rathje, the authors explore core-periphery relations, the use of household analysis to reconstruct political economy, and evidence for market development. In doing so, they challenge the conventional wisdom of decentralized Maya political authority and replace it with a more complex view of the political economic foundations of Maya civilization.

Gordon R. Willey and American Archaeology

Gordon R. Willey and American Archaeology
Author: Jeremy A. Sabloff
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2007
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780806138053

Gauging the impact of one scholar's contributions to modern archaeology

The Maya Tropical Forest

The Maya Tropical Forest
Author: James D. Nations
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 363
Release: 2006-06-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0292713185

The Maya Tropical Forest, which occupies the lowlands of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, is the closest rainforest to the United States and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Western Hemisphere. It has been home to the Maya peoples for nearly four millennia, starting around 1800 BC. Ancient cities in the rainforest such as Palenque, Yaxchilan, Tikal, and Caracol draw thousands of tourists and scholars seeking to learn more about the prehistoric Maya. Their contemporary descendants, the modern Maya, utilize the forest's natural resources in village life and international trade, while striving to protect their homeland from deforestation and environmental degradation. Writing for both visitors and conservationists, James Nations tells the fascinating story of how ancient and modern Maya peoples have used and guarded the rich natural resources of the Maya Tropical Forest. He opens with a natural history that profiles the forest's significant animals and plants. Nations then describes the Maya peoples, biological preserves, and major archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of conservation work in the Maya Tropical Forest, Nations tells first-hand stories of the creation of national parks and other protected areas to safeguard the region's natural resources and archaeological heritage. He concludes with an expert assessment of the forest's future in which he calls for expanded archaeological tourism to create an ecologically sustainable economic base for the region.