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The definitive history of the Maya, fully updated with the latest
archaeological studies. The Maya has long been established as the
best, most readable introduction to the ancient Maya on the market
today. This classic book has been updated by distilling the latest
scholarship for the general reader and student. This tenth edition
incorporates the most recent archaeological and epigraphic
findings, which continue to proceed at a fast pace, along with
full-colour 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 Fenix, dating from 1050 to 750 BC; and recent
advances in decoding Maya writing and imagery. It also expands on
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 features coverage of more recent Maya history, including the
displacement and mistreatment of the Maya people, along with
growing affirmations of their cultural identity and rights.
Highlighting the vitality of current scholarship about this
brilliant culture, The Maya remains the gold standard introductory
book on the subject.
Chocolate - 'the food of the Gods' - has had a long and eventful
history. Its story is expertly told here by the doyen of Maya
studies, Michael Coe, and his late wife, Sophie. The book begins
3,000 years ago in the Mexican jungles and goes on to draw on
aspects of archaeology, botany and socio-economics. Used as
currency and traded by the Aztecs, chocolate arrived in Europe via
the conquistadors, and was soon a favourite drink with aristocrats.
By the 19th century and industrialization, chocolate became a food
for the masses - until its revival in our own time as a luxury
item. Chocolate has also been giving up some of its secrets to
modern neuroscientists, who have been investigating how flavour
perception is mediated by the human brain. And, finally, the book
closes with two contemporary accounts of how chocolate
manufacturers have (or have not) been dealing with the ethical side
of the industry.
This authoritative volume has been revised throughout and expanded,
with stunning new images and accounts of the major discoveries of
recent years. Recent findings have been added to expand our
understanding of the Olmecs outside of their heartland, and new
research on the legacy of the Maya offers a wider and more cohesive
narrative of Mexico's history. New co-author Javier Urcid has added
greater coverage of Oaxaca and of Monte Alban, one of the earliest
cities in Mesoamerica and the center of the Zapotec civilization,
and a fully revised Epilogue discusses the survival of indigenous
populations in Mexico from the Conquest up to the present. This
longstanding classic now features full-colour photos of the vibrant
art and architecture of ancient Mesoamerica throughout.
The Third Edition of this classic account of the inside story of
one of the major intellectual breakthroughs of our time - the last
great decipherment of an ancient script - revised and brought right
up to date with the latest developments. 113 illustrations bring to
life the people and texts that have enabled us to read the Maya
script. The original edition, which sold over 40,000 copies in
English, was hailed as 'a masterpiece that transcends the
boundaries between academic and popular writing'. 'Coe's thrilling
account of the cracking of Mayan is like a detective story ...
great stuff' - The Observer 'Told with great vigour by Professor
Michael Coe, who was himself involved; he offers an insider's story
with strong views of the personalities, competence and abilities of
some colleagues' - History Today 'An entertaining, enlightening and
even humorous history of the great searchers after the meaning that
lies in the Maya inscriptions' - Anthony Burgess
The Classic-period kings ruled over the Khmer empire from AD 802
for more than five centuries, and this book, newly available in
paperback, examines the massive architectural achievements of this
period, including the huge capital city of Angkor, with the
awe-inspiring Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious structure.
It also draws attention to the imperial road system that bound
together the region's provincial centres. The gigantic hydraulic
system, still a source of controversy, is believed by many to have
provided the agricultural basis of Angkor's grandeur and power, and
its nature and function are discussed here. The final chapter
describes the Post-Classic period that set the stage for the entry
of the Khmer into the modern era.
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