223 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color map ; 24 x 29 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
Central America
Date:
2012
Contents:
Maya genesis -- Rival giants of the classic period -- Cities of the river -- Cities of the west -- Cities of the east -- Maya renaissance in the northern lowlands -- Twilight of the ancient Maya
Summary:
Traces the rise and fall of Maya civilization through its great royal cities, from El Mirador, the largest and oldest, to the rival city-states of the Classical period such as Tikal, Calakmul, Yaxchilán, Palenque, Toniná, and Copán. He then moves on to the great cities of the Terminal Classic period; at a time when the mighty centers of the southern lowlands were in a steep decline, cities to the north such as Uxmal and Kabah achieved a pinnacle of architectural beauty. After that he turns to the Postclassic period and Chichén Itzá in central Yucatán, a huge, cosmopolitan city that flourished during a military and cultural takeover by the Toltecs of central Mexico.
