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The Ancient Maya
The rich findings of recent exploration and research are incorporated in this completely revised and greatly expanded edition of the standard work on the New World's most brilliant civilization—that of the Maya people of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
From its shadowy beginnings centuries before Christ, the history of the Maya is traced through its periods of cultural growth, mysterious decline, renewed prosperity, and eventual downfall following the Spanish Conquest. Ever since the awesome remains of this civilization, which spanned some 2,000 years, were discovered in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the ancient Maya have attracted widespread fascination. Where had this civilization come from? How could the Maya have sustained themselves so successfully in such an inhospitable environment? What catastrophes had overwhelmed their long-abandoned cities? Today, scientific research in a variety of disciplines has made considerable progress in answering such questions.
Still, the allure of the Maya persists. Part of this fascination undoubtedly derives from the romantic image of a “lost civilization” that left scores of ruined cities deep in the jungle. But the more we learn of the Maya, the deeper becomes our respect and admiration. For these were a people of astonishing achievement: in mathematics, astronomy, calendrics, an writing systems; in technology, political organization, an commerce; and in sculpture, painting, and architecture.
Because of the veritable explosion of research on the Maya in recent years, we are for the first time beginning to understand the origins of the civilization and the reasons for both its flowering and its decline. New field discoveries, new technical advances, new successes in the decipherment of Maya writing, and new theoretical perspectives on the Maya past have made necessary this present edition of The Ancient Maya, which is more than one-fourth longer than the previous edition.
From its shadowy beginnings centuries before Christ, the history of the Maya is traced through its periods of cultural growth, mysterious decline, renewed prosperity, and eventual downfall following the Spanish Conquest. Ever since the awesome remains of this civilization, which spanned some 2,000 years, were discovered in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the ancient Maya have attracted widespread fascination. Where had this civilization come from? How could the Maya have sustained themselves so successfully in such an inhospitable environment? What catastrophes had overwhelmed their long-abandoned cities? Today, scientific research in a variety of disciplines has made considerable progress in answering such questions.
Still, the allure of the Maya persists. Part of this fascination undoubtedly derives from the romantic image of a “lost civilization” that left scores of ruined cities deep in the jungle. But the more we learn of the Maya, the deeper becomes our respect and admiration. For these were a people of astonishing achievement: in mathematics, astronomy, calendrics, an writing systems; in technology, political organization, an commerce; and in sculpture, painting, and architecture.
Because of the veritable explosion of research on the Maya in recent years, we are for the first time beginning to understand the origins of the civilization and the reasons for both its flowering and its decline. New field discoveries, new technical advances, new successes in the decipherment of Maya writing, and new theoretical perspectives on the Maya past have made necessary this present edition of The Ancient Maya, which is more than one-fourth longer than the previous edition.
518 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
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629 people want to read
About the author
Sylvanus G. Morley
78 books3 followersSylvanus Griswold "Vay" Morley was an archaeologist, epigrapher, and Mayanist scholar who made significant contributions toward the study of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the early 20th century.
Morley made extensive excavations of the Maya site of Chichen Itza that he directed on behalf of the Carnegie Institution. He also published several large compilations and treatises on Maya hieroglyphic writing, and wrote popular accounts on the Maya for a general audience.
To his contemporaries, "Vay" Morley was one of the leading Mesoamerican archaeologists of his day. Although more recent developments in the field have resulted in a re-evaluation of his theories and works, his publications, particularly on calendric inscriptions, are still cited. In his role as director of various projects sponsored by the Carnegie Institution, he oversaw and encouraged many others who later established notable careers in their own right. His commitment and enthusiasm for Maya studies helped inspire the necessary sponsorship for projects that would ultimately reveal much about ancient Maya civilization.
Morley also conducted espionage in Mexico on behalf of the United States during World War I, but the scope of those activities only came to light well after his death. His archaeological field work in Mexico and Central America provided suitable cover for investigating German activities and anti-American activity at the behest of the United States' Office of Naval Intelligence.
Morley made extensive excavations of the Maya site of Chichen Itza that he directed on behalf of the Carnegie Institution. He also published several large compilations and treatises on Maya hieroglyphic writing, and wrote popular accounts on the Maya for a general audience.
To his contemporaries, "Vay" Morley was one of the leading Mesoamerican archaeologists of his day. Although more recent developments in the field have resulted in a re-evaluation of his theories and works, his publications, particularly on calendric inscriptions, are still cited. In his role as director of various projects sponsored by the Carnegie Institution, he oversaw and encouraged many others who later established notable careers in their own right. His commitment and enthusiasm for Maya studies helped inspire the necessary sponsorship for projects that would ultimately reveal much about ancient Maya civilization.
Morley also conducted espionage in Mexico on behalf of the United States during World War I, but the scope of those activities only came to light well after his death. His archaeological field work in Mexico and Central America provided suitable cover for investigating German activities and anti-American activity at the behest of the United States' Office of Naval Intelligence.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 25, 2024
I thought this was a very thorough and informative read on the Maya and their culture. The book was well-written and researched to provide detailed and non-biased information in my opinion. The book gave lots of details in the chapters. These included histories on the location and existing people of Central America, the origins of the Maya
- Lacandon Maya, Chiapas region
- Yucatan Maya-Tixcacal Group (Quintana Roo)
- Huasteca Maya (San Luis Potosi)
- Zinacantan, Iztapa, Petha, El Cedro
The next cluster of chapters addressed details that included agriculture, government and social organization, life of the common people, religion and deities, architecture, ceramics, sculpture and modeling, arts and crafts, and the hieroglyphics, astronomy, and mathematics.
There were plenty of visual references with the pantheon of Maya gods, the Maya 365-civil year calendar alongside the 260-sacred year calendar, houses, pottery, and much more. The narrative ended on several contributing factors that led to the decline of the Maya: isolation versus urbanization,
advancements in technology, agricultural blite, and others.
I overall learned a great deal and would keep this as a reference tool about the Maya. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Maya and their history. Thanks!!
Two physical features of the modern Maya suggest the northeastern Asiatic origin which they share with other American Indian groups: the epicanthic eye fold and the Mongolian spot, pg 24the Classic and Postclassic era, the conquest by Spaniards in Yucatan and Peten. The author showed with B&W photos of the existing Maya descendants in Central America that correlate with the various tribes:
- Lacandon Maya, Chiapas region
- Yucatan Maya-Tixcacal Group (Quintana Roo)
- Huasteca Maya (San Luis Potosi)
- Zinacantan, Iztapa, Petha, El Cedro
The next cluster of chapters addressed details that included agriculture, government and social organization, life of the common people, religion and deities, architecture, ceramics, sculpture and modeling, arts and crafts, and the hieroglyphics, astronomy, and mathematics.
There were plenty of visual references with the pantheon of Maya gods, the Maya 365-civil year calendar alongside the 260-sacred year calendar, houses, pottery, and much more. The narrative ended on several contributing factors that led to the decline of the Maya: isolation versus urbanization,
advancements in technology, agricultural blite, and others.
I overall learned a great deal and would keep this as a reference tool about the Maya. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Maya and their history. Thanks!!
October 29, 2018
Robert Sharer and Loa P. Traxler's The Ancient Maya: Sixth Edition is a work I have been reading intermittently over the last five months. Today, I finally finished it. It can be maddeningly scholarly in places, but it is almost unimaginably complete. I remember reading the 3rd edition of this work by Sylvanus Morley many years ago: It was probably a better read, but covered only a small fraction of what is know today. For one thing, we now know how to interpret Mayan hieroglyphs, and we have discovered that the Maya of the Classical period had a history and a cast of characters. Back in Morley's day, it was thought that most hieroglyphs were merely glosses on calendar dates, instead of tales of Maya rulers and their deeds.
The book is far too heavy for me to carry to Guatemala when I go in January, but I can see myself looking up details over the weeks to come.
Sharer's book contains the histories of numerous Maya polities in Yucatan, Chiapas, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, complete with dates.
While I cannot recommend this book as light reading (it is NOT light in any sense of the word), it is a model of American archeological scholarship at its best.
The book is far too heavy for me to carry to Guatemala when I go in January, but I can see myself looking up details over the weeks to come.
Sharer's book contains the histories of numerous Maya polities in Yucatan, Chiapas, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, complete with dates.
While I cannot recommend this book as light reading (it is NOT light in any sense of the word), it is a model of American archeological scholarship at its best.
March 10, 2011
The most comprehensive discussion of the Ancient Maya I have encountered.
February 23, 2015
A tour-de-force textbook. Enormously instructive and even highly readable for someone not engaged in a formal course of study
November 30, 2018
Moments where the author's beliefs and prejudices compromised the text, use of words such as 'primitive' jarred with me. Informative other than that.
February 8, 2017
Dense but fascinating and absorbing.
July 17, 2015
This is the best and most comprehensive general study of the ancient Maya that I know of. It has its problems, of course (one of which I think is reliance on Spanish accounts of the Postclassic), and also some inconsistencies due to its many revisions, but this is still the best around. If you can only read one book on the ancient Maya, this should be the one.
February 8, 2013
Very good information on the basics of ancient Maya.
June 27, 2024
I read a university textbook on the Maya. 700 pages.
I wouldn't advise anyone to read this to understand Maya history and culture. There is A LOT of filler and repetition in the book. They describe the archaeological sites.
I think we don't know much until the Spanish showed up. It's amazing how little we can go back in time. Beyond 800 AD it is just "The building has steps. We believe the steps were there so people could climb to the top. We believe people climbed to the top because there were steps. We have no idea why they want to climb to the top."
Also if you want to preserve yourself in history: Take up pottery. That seems to be the only thing that lasts.
I think the author and Graham Hancock would have had a fistfight if they had met. This book was so stale that you almost wanted him to guess or imagine what Mayan life was like to make the book more interesting. He believes that archaeologists should stick to the facts. Well....you have very few facts.
Seems like the book was also written from a Eurocentric mindset. You come away thinking...wow the Mayans were a lot like us which is weird considering we supposedly had no contact with them. I think the history we write about them is very tainted by Eurocentristic views that keep perpetuating down the centuries. The Spaniards destroyed all the writing, statues, and customs in an insanely brutal way that we will likely never know about life in Mayan civilization.
One curious thing is that the Mayan lords were the masters of creating inefficiency while building empires. And so it seemed that they would grow their city/empire and then it would collapse. When you visit the Yucatan and Quintana Roo areas, you get frustrated by how inefficient everything is. I am wondering if this is a heritage of the Mayan culture. The Dutch would kill themselves in Cozumel.
I wouldn't advise anyone to read this to understand Maya history and culture. There is A LOT of filler and repetition in the book. They describe the archaeological sites.
I think we don't know much until the Spanish showed up. It's amazing how little we can go back in time. Beyond 800 AD it is just "The building has steps. We believe the steps were there so people could climb to the top. We believe people climbed to the top because there were steps. We have no idea why they want to climb to the top."
Also if you want to preserve yourself in history: Take up pottery. That seems to be the only thing that lasts.
I think the author and Graham Hancock would have had a fistfight if they had met. This book was so stale that you almost wanted him to guess or imagine what Mayan life was like to make the book more interesting. He believes that archaeologists should stick to the facts. Well....you have very few facts.
Seems like the book was also written from a Eurocentric mindset. You come away thinking...wow the Mayans were a lot like us which is weird considering we supposedly had no contact with them. I think the history we write about them is very tainted by Eurocentristic views that keep perpetuating down the centuries. The Spaniards destroyed all the writing, statues, and customs in an insanely brutal way that we will likely never know about life in Mayan civilization.
One curious thing is that the Mayan lords were the masters of creating inefficiency while building empires. And so it seemed that they would grow their city/empire and then it would collapse. When you visit the Yucatan and Quintana Roo areas, you get frustrated by how inefficient everything is. I am wondering if this is a heritage of the Mayan culture. The Dutch would kill themselves in Cozumel.
November 17, 2024
Dr Robert Sharer was my professor at the University of Pennsylvania. This was a book I’d read prior to becoming Professor Sharer’s student and read again and again in my academic life. Professor Sharer was an incredible source of knowledge for any student of archaeology who is focusing on the Maya and in any time period . In my opinion this is a base of knowledge that no student of Mesoamerican archaeology can live without. If you don’t own it get a copy now because you will do yourself a disservice if you don’t. Dr Sharer was a force within the archaeology community especially those of us who studied or plan to study the Maya archaeologically and I think it would be quite useful for those studying Mayan culture in the 21st century. Absolutely a necessary book for th shelf and I think like my copy yours will be read and used constantly as reference, it is simply requisite I used it throughout my academic career
January 4, 2022
Read this book for my Maya Civilization class. It was very interesting. I particularly liked the first couple of chapters that help to paint the picture of the landscape in the region of the world where the Maya live currently and throughout history. I would like to have gone a little deeper in the religion and every day live aspects instead of focusing so much on the rulers, however that is too be expected since most of the archeological evidence available (that wasn't previously destroyed) focuses on the rulers and their rule.
November 2, 2020
¡Excelente! Es como una enciclopedia sobre la cultura maya.
November 9, 2008
Research
August 25, 2010
Third edition, 1970 printing
March 16, 2018
Well written. This was required reading for a college course, but I enjoyed the book so much, and it has so much information, that I kept it and reread parts of it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews