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The Royal Courts of the Maya is a fascinating look at the pre-Hispanic Maya in the Preclassic, Classic, and Postclassic periods of their history. Houston and Inomata's anthology is an interdisciplinary study of the administrative functions, internal dynamics, and symbolic roles of rulers and their royal retinues. Though the core of the book is archaeological in focus, it also encompasses elements of epigraphy (glyph reading), iconography, and ethnohistory, resulting in a truly comprehensive portrait of this sophisticated culture. The book ranges from more theoretical examinations of subjects like ritual and ideology to specific archaeological case studies of major Maya sites and regions. Broad in scope but rich in detail, The Royal Courts of the Maya is a valuable resource for Maya scholars everywhere. ... Read more

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What Happened to the World's Great Civilizations?

At their peak, the Mayan and Anasazi civilizations were some of the most advanced the world had ever seen. But hundreds of years ago, they just disappeared-vanished. Or so it seems. What really happened to these technologically and culturally sophisticated peoples? Where did they go? In Dusty Sandals, Rod Beach attempts to answer this question that has haunted generations of researchers with a unique and ground-breaking account. But as he presents a scientifically sound theory of migration-following tribes as they travel from Chichen Itza, along the trail of Kokopelli and back to their homeland in Asia-Beach goes further than exploring how. Dusty Sandals presents a vivid fictional narrative that seeks why. From political and religious machinations to changing economic and social conditions, Dusty Sandals imagines a culture on the brink-where brutal new tactics of controlling the population spur a hunger for change. What emerges is a fascinating story-seen from the inside-of how a people changed their circumstances through grit, fortitude and sheer bravery-and of the legacy that continues to this day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

don't bother
Sorry, but this book is terrible. Badly written, no character development, no sense of place, and full of inaccurate information.

Exciting Page Turner
This book was an intriguing storyline full of excitement. The historical detail and theory of the demise of the Anasazi civilization was very interesting. Couldn't put it down! ... Read more

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Mayan languages. List of Mayan languages, Maya script, Mayan sign languages, Proto-Mayan, Classic Maya language, Maya codices ... Read more

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Draws on fieldwork with theatre groups in Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatan to observe the Maya peoples in the process of defining themselves through theatrical performance Reveals how theatre is an agent of cultural self-definition and community-building Shows how theatre negotiates complex relations among indigenous communities in Mayan Mexico, state governments, and non-Mayan artists and researchers In this book, Tamara Underiner draws on fieldwork with theatre groups in Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatan to observe the Maya peoples in the process of defining themselves through theatrical performance. She looks at the activities of four theatre groups or networks, focusing on their operating strategies and on close analyses of selected dramatic texts. She shows that while each group works under the rubric of Mayan or indigenous theatre, their works are also in constant dialogue, confrontation, and collaboration with the wider, non-Mayan world.Her observations thus reveal not only how theatre is an agent of cultural self-definition and community-building but also how theatre negotiates complex relations among indigenous communities in Mayan Mexico, state governments, and non-Mayan artists and researchers. ... Read more

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"El Popol Vuh es una obra fundamental para el conocimiento de la cultura indigena americana. Además de su incalculable valor histórico, por ser testimonio escrito de las narraciones transmitidas oralmente de generación en generación, tiene un intrínseco valor literario. Se trata de una narración que contiene mitología, las profecías y la cosmovisión de los k'ichee's. La versión del Popol Vuh escrita por Albertina Saravia, investigadora de la lengua y cultura k'ichee's, es un importante texto de divulgación de la historia cultural. La autora tuvo el acierto de buscar entre los grabados de los códices mayas, aquellos que pudieran adaptarse a los contenidos de esta obra. Esto se justifica, pues el Popol Vuh tiene, efectivamente, un origen maya: la cultura que produjo los únicos tres códices sobrevivientes a la conquista española. El Popol Vuh ha sido traducido a muchos idiomas del mundo hoy, vuelve a sus orígenes en esta edición bilingüe k'ichee' -- español. La edición resulta pertinente ahora que el proceso social en América y en el mundo se abre a la enseñanza de los idiomas indígenas desde la Educación Primaria." [Excerpt from book's back cover notes.] ... Read more

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Examines the close association that ancient civilizations had with UFOs and reveals implications of that evidence for Christianity and the 12-21-12 Mayan end date. ... Read more

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In presenting this Commentary on the Codex Perez to students of American Archaeology, the Peabody Museum adds another paper to its series relating to the study of the hieroglyphic writing of the ancient peoples of Mexico and Central America.
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Have you ever wanted to visit Book of Mormon lands? Join travelers Daniel Johnson, Jared Cooper, and Derek Gasser as they explore Mesoamerica and compare archeological records to the Book of Mormon accounts.Discover which sites are easily accessible and which are not, as well as how to get there and what to look for. At each site, the authors explain how archeology may tie the site to events in the Book of Mormon.From Guatemala to Mexico to Honduras, explore the Mayan cities tucked away in the jungles and mountains of Mesoamerica - some well known, others not. Discover the true history of these ancient cultures according to recent archeological findings, and see what exciting and little-known similarities to the Book of Mormon accounts can be found upon closer inspection.Extensively researched and filled with detailed color photographs, An LDS Guide to Mesoamerica contains the latest mainstream archeological opinions. For the first time, this information has been brought together and organized on a site-by-site basis so that whether you are at home or out in the jungles of Mesoamerica, you will find yourself on a successful, inspirational, and unforgettable journey. ... Read more

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Large oversize book, English version of El mundo maya ISBN: 968652007412"-15" Tall. A fabulous picture book on Mayan culture, then and now. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1877.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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The Decipherment of Ancient Maya Writing is an important story of intellectual discovery and a tale of code breaking comparable to the interpreting of Egyptian hieroglyphs and the decoding of cuneiform.

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Decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing has reached the point that most Maya texts—whether inscribed on the monuments, written in the codices, or painted or incised on ceramics—can now be read with some confidence. The "breaking of the Maya code" has completely changed our knowledge of this ancient civilization, and has given the Maya people a long and vivid history lacking in other areas of the pre-Columbian New World. In the recent past, a working knowledge of this script has been confined to epigraphers, art historians, and other specialists. Its very unfamiliarity to the general public, and the daunting aspect of its approximately 800 signs, have made the system appear more complex and arcane than it really is. Reading the Maya Glyphs is a compact, portable guide that enables students, tourists, and armchair travelers to read and understand commonly encountered Classic Maya texts. Illustrated by the drawings of Mark Van Stone, one of America's most gifted calligraphers, it presupposes no previous training in Maya epigraphy or archaeology. In the hands of visitors to the great Maya sites of Mexico and Central America, or consulted by museum-goers, this guide will enhance appreciation of some of the world's greatest art and architecture. Topics covered include the nature of the language and the writing system, the intricate Maya calendar, dynastic and political texts, and the Maya natural and supernatural world. Informed by the latest research on the script, Reading the Maya Glyphs is a window on the vanished world of the ancient Maya rulers and their people. Illustrated in 2 colors throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Best introduction to Maya glyphs
Reading the Maya Glyphs, Second Edition is a clear and simple introduction to the topic. Richly illustrated and well written, it offers systematic explanation together with some exercises to check if it really works :-)
A must for a beginner epigrapher.

Great book
I am an artist who wanted to take on a 20 year hobby of learning how to draw and read at least basic Maya glyphs. The book is easy to understand and read while still being intellectual (you are learning maya glyphs after all).

The illustrations are great to reference in drawing, and I do think they are better than the illustrations printed in "How to Read Maya Hieroglyphs".

Got a couple of years to spare?
Perhaps the problem lies less with the authors and more with the language, but I suspect both are guilty of making this study of Maya glyphs as enjoyable as mowing a near vertical lawn in 100 degree weather.Imagine being asked to name and recognize each of the 101 Dalmations (with the understanding that sometimes any dalmation could alternately appear as a collie or unicorn or frog or loaf of bread OR any of those things turned upside down or stuck to the wall with velcro or distorted as if pushed up against a glass wall from behind).Add to that a series of cryptic lessons on linguistic esoterica designed to give you fits and several exercises to show that you will never make any progress here (and ought to question whether or not you have early Alzheimers or something equally dreadful that could explain why you got so many wrong answers on the tests).I actually started arguing with the book around page 30 which is when I knew it was time to move on. Instead of tearing hearts out of thousands of people the Maya should have spent more time making a language that was user friendly . . . even the Klingons did a better job.

If only I could do 3.5 stars
I'm giving this 4 stars, because it just doesn't seem right to rank it as only an average book, it's really fantastic.However, having done a lot of (admittedly amateur) study of the Maya script, I found this book problematic in a few areas.First, you should know that some of the grammar presented here is still very much debatable--especially the sections on morphosyllables and syllabic disharmony.If you don't have any idea what that means, don't worry, Coe explains it well.The answers are just a little more hypothetical than the presentation suggests.

John Montgomery's book "How to Read Maya Hieroglyphs" is a little more conservative on those topics, and is generally more in-depth and scholarly.The book on this page, on the other hand, is better illustrated and has practice exercises that are extremely helpful.Ideally, I would recommend owning both--the overlap is not as bad as you might think and they have different strengths for bringing along in visits to sites like Palenque and their museums.If you must choose one, the Coe book is a quicker study and better designed for practicing and looking up material such as the syllabary easily.The Montgomery gives you decidedly more info and a more solid foundation.I hope this review helps you choose the best one for your taste.Either way, enjoy studying this difficult and beautiful script.

Beautiful and Accessible
Not only is this book beautifully printed with exquisite glyphs printed in red ink, it is also coherent and accessible to everyone interested in Maya hieroglyphs. It takes almost no time to read and fully understand, and is a perfect introduction and reference tool. A must have for any Maya enthusiast. ... Read more

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ATLANTIUM Episode XXVIIMAYAN CRYSTAL SKULLWhat is it? Where did it come from? Who made it? These are serious questions that have not been answered by some of our top engineers.Was the ancient World covered by a Hyper-Technological civilization 15,000-25,000 years ago?

ATLANTIUM the serialized Book from ROC HATFIELD looks into new discoveries that are pointing to questions that mainstream science does not want to hear. Are you ready to know?

ENIGMAS WRAPPED IN MYSTERIES PACKAGED IN QUESTIONS.

Explore the ancient world of Atlantium. Science is discovering artifacts and connections to ancient advanced empires that existed 15,000 to 50,000 years ago. Who were these people? Are we descended from them? How advanced were they? Were they beings from a distant star system? All of these questions are powerful and the answers may be to intense for some people to handle. Make up your own mind…ATLANTIUM ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A waste of paper
This book is a synthesis of every pseudo New Age concept from atlantis to cosmic DNA to the world ending in 2012. While the disconnected ramblings may fit into Ms. Mercier's wordview, with the exception of the obvious charlatans from whom she derives her information, it does not correspond with that of the Maya.The "shamans" she cites are tourist guides at the "sacred" ruins and street beggars encountered along the way. Her interpretation of the calendrics, rituals and belief systems are more in tune with her profession as a "crystal healer" from the UK than that of a researcher of Maya religion. She claims her husband has channeled ancient Xamans ( a term foreign to the Maya) and she interprets ancient writingsthough she cannot read the glyphs and speaks none of the 26 Mayan dialects. The only legitate comments included are gleaned from the works of Dr. Schele and other legitimate Maya scholars.Her use of the Huna K'u is particularly disturbing.This is a contemporary concept and appears in no codex, stone carving, piece of ceramic or any other example from antiquity, yet she uses it as the basis for her hypothesis concerning ancient rites and rituals.The sources she cites personally can neither read nor write glyphic Maya yet she uses them as authorities in the translation and interpretation of ancient codicies and texts. Her use of calendric sources are equally baffling. She perpetuates the false notion that the calendar calls for the "end of the fourth age".The 2012 date is nothing more than a baktun ending.
I have studied Maya religious rites, ceremonies and their basis is the shamanic tradition for over thirty years and have NEVER come across such drivel as is presented in this book.I can only surmise that this entire exercise is an attempt to promote her "Sun and Serpent Maya Mysteries School UK".
Persons interested in Maya shamanism should purchase " The Maya Cosmos" by Friedel, Schele and Parker for an archaeologically and conceptually correct view. ... Read more