Cities of the Maya in Seven Epochs, 1250 B.C. to A.D. 1903

Telling the story of the Maya peoples from their earliest beginnings to the start of the 20th century, this book divides the 3,000 year time span into seven distinct sections. Each provides a detailed vignette of the events, explorers, and people of a particular Maya era, starting with the tropical lowlands’ Olmec civilization. Among the topics covered are the shamanistic rites by which Mesoamerican monarchs based their power to rule; the Preclassic megacity of El Mirador and its near neighbor Nakbe; the Maya creation myth of the Hero Twins and its role in organizing Maya society; and the power struggles between the cities Tikal and Calakmul.

The late Steve Glassman was a professor of humanities at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Armando Anaya is a professor at the Universidad Autonoma de Campeche in Campeche, Mexico.

Steve Glassman and Armando Anaya

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 49 photos, 19 maps, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4848-7
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8743-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix
Preface      1
1. The Proto-Maya Olmec Cities of San Lorenzo and La Venta, 1250–400 B.C.: If Not the Mother Culture, an Undisputed Similar Culture      7
2. The Mirador Basin in Times Long Gone, 1000 B.C.–A.D. 150      29
3. Tikal, the Eternal City, Early Classic, A.D. 250–550      67
4. Calakmul and the Snakehead Dynasty, a Maya Superpower      98
5. The Tale of Two Cities, Concluded, A.D. 695–869      121
6. Terminal Classic in the Yucatan, A.D. 800–1100      155
7. Mayapan, Tayasal, and Chan Santa Cruz      186
References      223
Index      233

• “A strong pick for any fan of Mayan history”—Midwest Book Review