The Maya are of enormous and abiding fascination to anybody
interested in archaeology, ancient history, astronomy, or the
visual arts. From the 3rd century BC to the 14th century AD, while
Europe was deep in the Dark and Middle Ages, the Maya were
producing astonishing sculpture, stelae, and wall murals, and
building magnificent temples, palaces, tombs, and ball courts. Now,
in this extraordinary volume pairing a leading Maya scholar and one
of the world's finest photographers of ancient sites, the rich
cultural heritage of the Maya is brought vividly and
authoritatively to life.
Author Michael Coe traces the rise and fall of Maya civilization
through its great royal cities, from El Mirador, the largest and
oldest, to the rival city-states of the Classical period such as
Tikal, Calakmul, Yaxchilan, Palenque, Tonina, and Copan. He then
moves on to the great cities of the Terminal Classic period; at a
time when the mighty centers of the southern lowlands were in a
steep decline, cities to the north such as Uxmal and Kabah achieved
a pinnacle of architectural beauty. After that he turns to the
Postclassic period and Chichen Itza in central Yucatan, a huge,
cosmopolitan city that flourished during a military and cultural
takeover by the Toltecs of central Mexico. Through convincing
analysis of archaeological evidence, new readings, of artifacts,
reliefs, and murals, Professor Coe untangles the complex sequences
of internecine ritual warfare that eventually weakened Maya
civilization.
Illustrating Coe's riveting history of these remarkable polities,
the powerful dynasties that led them, and the political intrigues
and armed conflicts that threatened their existence, are the
exceptionally evocative photographs of Barry Brukoff, whose color
and sepia imagery recalls the lithographs of the
early-nineteenth-century artist and explorer Frederick Catherwood.
Praise for "Royal Cities of the Ancient Maya"
"This book takes us on a three-thousand-year journey through Maya
history, from nascent agrarian communities to coastal shrines of
Yucatan on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Along the way, we visit
the major centers of ancient Maya civilization, and in each locale
we are given a unique private tour of its remarkable art and
architecture through Barry Brukoff's masterly photographs. Our
guide on this epic journey is Michael Coe, whose vivid account is
informed by vast knowledge of Mesoamerican culture. Royal Cities of
the Ancient Maya is an experience not to be missed."--Professor
Andrea Stone, Department of Art History, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
"A sumptuous presentation of all things Maya. The architecture,
art, and history of this extraordinary people are covered in great
detail, from the first farmers to the arrival of the Spaniards.
During this long interval of some 3500 years, the Maya created one
of the most distinctive of ancient civilizations, here wonderfully
revealed by Michael Coe, a leading authority in the field, and the
superb photographs of Barry Brukoff. Royal Cities of the Ancient
Maya is a feast for the eye and the mind for the scholar and the
general reader alike."--Dr. David L. Webster, Professor of
Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
"Stunning photographs by Barry Brukoff illuminate insights and
smart prose from Michael Coe, one of the most knowledgeable
scholars of the ancient Maya, in Royal Cities of the Ancient Maya.
For both general readers and specialists, this highly readable book
offers wonderful surprises, along with the latest and most
up-to-date interpretations. No bookshelf should be without
it."--Dr. Mary Miller, Dean of Yale College, Sterling Professor of
Art, History of Art of the Ancient New World, author of The Art of
Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec
"This book is glorious. Panoramic in two senses, it offers
masterful commentary by Michael Coe, doyen of Mayanist scholars,
along with B
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