Ancestral Maya Economies in Archaeological Perspective (Paperback)

The decipherment of Maya hieroglyphs has enabled scholars to better understand Classic society, but many aspects of this civilization remain shrouded in mystery, particularly its economies and social structures. How did farmers, artisans, and rulers make a living in a tropical forest environment? In this study, Patricia McAnany tackles this question and presents the first comprehensive view of ancestral Maya economic practice. Bringing an archaeological approach to the topic, she demonstrates the vital role of ritual practice in indigenous ecologies, gendered labor, and the construction of colossal architecture. Examining Maya royalty as a kind of social speciation, McAnany also shows the fundamentality of social difference as well as the pervasiveness of artisan production and marketplaces in ancestral Maya societies. Her analysis of royal iconography and hieroglyphic texts provides evidence of a political economy dominated by tribute extraction, thus lifting the veil of opacity over the operation of palace economies. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this book situates Maya economies within contemporary social, political, and economic theories of social practice, gender, actor-networks, inalienable goods, materiality, social difference, indigenous ecologies, and strategies of state finance.

General

Imprint:	Cambridge UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	October 2014
Authors:	Patricia A. McAnany
Dimensions:	223 x 140 x 18mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	386
ISBN-13:	978-1-107-43601-5
Categories:	Books > Humanities > Archaeology > Archaeology by period / region > General
LSN:	1-107-43601-X
Barcode:	9781107436015

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