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OverviewThis text brings to life the extraordinary civilization of the Maya. In it, the author answers questions about why they constructed their cities in the hostile setting of the jungle, the exact age of their ruins, the strange human images depicted in elaborate costume at so many of their sites and asks why, at the time of the Spanish conquest, all knowledge of the Maya had been lost. The book examines the Maya's history, art, architecture, political systems and religion and, finding that the Maya are not in fact a lost people due to their modern descendants in Mexico, considers the ways in which their society today illuminates that of their ancestors. Full Product DetailsAuthor: David DrewPublisher: Orion Publishing Co Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Dimensions: Width: 12.80cm , Height: 3.00cm , Length: 19.60cm Weight: 0.360kg ISBN: 9780753809891ISBN 10: 0753809893 Pages: 464 Publication Date: 05 January 2006 Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , General , Undergraduate Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print  This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviewsDavid Drew's superb overview of the Mayan civilisation of South and Cetral America is a recommended read for anyone interested in ancient civilisations... As intriguing as its subject, Drew's book is hugely enjoyable. HAM & HIGH For two centuries, the glorious palaces and pyramids of the Maya civilization of Central America have fascinated experts and the public alike. Who were these people and how did they build such amazing constructions in the midst of inacessible and hostile landscapes? It was clear to the intrepid explorers who uncovered these monuments, that the hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Mayas held the key to the mystery of this ancient society that had reached its intellectual and cultural zenith while Europe lumbered on in the Dark Ages. Recent breakthroughs in deciphering the Maya hieroglyphics - compared in importance with that of the Egyptian hieroglyphs - have revealed a wealth of information about the history, religion, political organization and art of the Mayas. Drew traces these historic developments in cracking the Maya code alongside concurrent discoveries in archaeology. What emerges from the pages of this very readable study, is a vivid picture of the characters of the Maya kings, whose old, romantic image as benevolent, scholarly priest-kings has been replaced with a very different one of belligerent, war-makers with a penchant for human-sacrifice. A thoughtful exploration of a mysterious and complex society. (Kirkus UK) 'David Drew's superb overview of the Mayan civilisation of South and Cetral America is a recommended read for anyone interested in ancient civilisations... As intriguing as its subject, Drew's book is hugely enjoyable.' HAM & HIGH Author InformationDavid Drew is an archaeologist who has worked in Latin America for more than twenty years. He has also written and presented many television documentaries for BBC series such as Chronicle and Timewatch. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Anthropological Institute. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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