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The Maya, Seventh Edition (Ancient Peoples and Places) | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael D. Coe
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Category: Book
List Price: $22.50
Buy Used: $11.15
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Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 51313
Media: Paperback
Edition: 7
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0500285055
Dewey Decimal Number: 972.81016
EAN: 9780500285053
ASIN: 0500285055
Publication Date: March 30, 2005
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Product Description
"A clear and intelligent description of the development and organization of Maya civilization." —Natural History The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the New World's greatest ancient civilization. In these pages Professor Coe distills a lifetime's scholarship for the general reader and student. Since the publication of the sixth edition of The Maya, new sites have been uncovered and further excavations in old sites have proceeded at an unprecedented pace. Among the many new discoveries is the chance find of extraordinary murals dating to ca. AD 100 at San Bartolo in the Peten. New epigraphic, archaeological, and osteological research has thrown light on the identity of the "founding fathers" of such great sites as Tikal and Copan, and their close affiliation with Teotihuacan in central Mexico. The previously little known center of Ek' Balam in northeastern Yucatan has turned out to be a regional kingdom of major importance, with extraordinary stucco reliefs and a plethora of painted inscriptions. It has now become apparent that the birth of Maya civilization lies not in the Classic but during the Preclassic period, above all in the Mirador Basin of northern Guatemala, where the builders of gigantic ancient cities (interconnected by causeways) erected the world's largest pyramid as early as 200 BC. All of these finds suggest that we must rethink what we mean by "Classic." The seventh edition also presents new evidence for the use of wetlands by the Classic Maya, and fresh perspectives on the catastrophic demise of Classic civilization by the close of the ninth century. 175 illustrations, 17 in color.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 scholarly but difficult to wade through January 13, 1998
Kenting (San Jose Area, CA USA)
37 out of 38 found this review helpful
I would recommend this book for people who are planning to visit Mayan sites such as Chichen Itza or Tikal, and would like to get a scholarly, authoritative overview of current scientific knowledge. It is not, however, a page turner. The writing style is dry, and a most of the book consists of lengthy lists and descriptions of buildings and artifacts discovered at every major Mayan site, with little analysis or discussion of what the artifacts actually signify. Those who are short of time or patience would do well to skip ahead to the last three chapters, where the author *at last* provides a discussion of Mayan culture and beliefs. This book is still a good use of time for people who want to get a scientific view of Mayan civilization, instead of the myths that the local tour guides will perpetrate. The hand-drawn maps and illustrations are especially beautifully rendered.
Maya archeology August 3, 2004
T. Carlsson
26 out of 28 found this review helpful
Over three quarters of this book is spent on describing cities and artifacts in a long list. This is probably what Maya specialists are interested in, but I would think that a book with this title should actually try to write the history of the Maya and not just present the archaeological evidence of it. The book finally changes to a more interesting way of presentation towards the end (long after the chapters which judging by their title should have dealt with the different time-periods in Maya history), but up to that point it's pretty tough going for someone who's interested only in a larger view of Maya history.
This book worked well as a college textbook on the Maya. June 29, 1999
David K. Jordan (La Jolla, CA USA)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful
For several years I have used this edition and its three predecessors in a small, introductory college seminar on Maya archaeology. Students and I both liked it. It is sensitive to developments in all areas of Maya research and to the growing knowledge about interactions between the Maya and other ancient peoples of the region. (In this it complements Coe's companion book, MEXICO.) The sixth edition nicely takes account of recent exciting developments in deciphering Maya script, which is a useful addition, since these are headline grabbers that correspond well with what is likely to bubble over into the news media. As a balanced, archaeologically responsible, continuously updated account, with lots of maps and pictures to amplify the text, this is a really useful book.
 Great overview of the Maya area May 19, 2000
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Overall, I found Coe's book to be informative and full of all the necessary facts. At the same time it kept my attention with the beautiful color pictures and descriptions of sites and artifacts. This book will give the reader an overview and introduction to the Maya area while incorporating the latest findings. This makes a great general reference book as well as a good read. The only suggestion I have is that the final three chapters on religion and every-day life come before the in-depth discussion of sites.
Informative and update January 27, 2001
Mark Janssen (Oak Park, IL United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
As a new-comer to Mayan history, I enjoyed the writing in this book. Coe gives a broad description of this complex history while not getting bogged down in extraneous details. The pictures are valuable, especially the city scape pictures and the conditions which the sites were found in modern times. As a previous reviewer recommended, Read Chapter 8 and 9 after reading chapter 3. This might fill in some gaps and clarify some of the middle chapters. Overall, a good start to Maya history and culture
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