Facts on File Library of World History - Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World

Archaeological excavations of their ruined jungle cities and decoding of their hieroglyphs have generated increased interest in the oncemysterious Maya culture. One of the Mesoamerican civilizations that flourished in Mexico and parts of Central America, the Maya are becoming increasingly known for their contributions to science, mathematics, technology, and other aspects of life. The Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World sorts through recent groundbreaking discoveries to offer an accessible thematic presentation of the latest research on all aspects of Maya civilization, from its earliest beginnings to the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century.

Featuring a preface written by Peter Mathews, an influential Maya scholar and leading expert in the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs, this volume profiles the everyday routines of the Maya with in-depth coverage of society, warfare, religion, architecture, astronomy, economy, writing, and daily life. The highly accessible format makes Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World an invaluable reference source for archaeologists, students, historians, and general readers alike. "The authors of this book have done a masterful job in amassing information about Maya civilization from a wide variety of sources and from some reports that are so recent that they have not yet been published...In a field where new information emerges almost daily, and major discoveries still occur several times each year, the authors are impressively current in the information they provide...this book is an easy-to-read and most up-to-date account of ancient Maya civilization."