Buy this book on-line

Henderson, John S : The World Of The Ancient Maya

Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, NY, 1981

ISBN 0801412323

271pp. B&W and Color Photographs. DJ rear panel has a 2 inch tear along foldover and a shorter tear at bottom of spine with associated crease and light wrinking, Large 8vo, Fine in Very Good DJ

1st Edition

Henderson, John S : The World of the Ancient Maya

Cornell University Press, 1997

Second edition, first printing, paperback, 9.5" x 8.5", very good condition, uncreased illustrated matt card covers, 329 pages including notes -bibliography - index, colour and b/w photo illustrations, b/w line drawings, b/w maps-----'Since it was first published in 1981, this book has established itself as an extraordinarily accomplished - comprehensive, elegantly written, and concise - introduction to the rich Maya culture. In this edition, the author has thoroughly revised the text and added a wealth of new photographs and drawings. Henderson explores the entire Maya cultural tradition, from the earliest traces of settlement through the period of the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century. The ancient Mayas were the only fully literate pre-Columbian people in the Americas, and Henderson incorporates deciphered Maya texts in his reconstruction of ancient Maya societies. Superb scientists, the Mayas developed a very sophisticated mathematics and an intricate and accurate calendar system. Theirs was one of the few complex societies to emerge in and to adapt successfully to a tropical forest environment. Their architecture, sculpture, and painting were sophisticated and compellingly beautiful. The authors wide-ranging and judiciously balanced account treats diverse aspects of the Maya world, including religion and philosophy, the environments of the various Maya peoples, and their links with neighbors and relatives in the area. Throughout, he considers the interaction among Maya societies and stresses the importance of the cultural variations from region to region, as well as the common Maya heritage.'

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.