The Maya

The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the New World's greatest ancient civilization. In its pages Professor Coe distills a lifetime's scholarship for the general reader and student, presenting the latest findings, most exciting scholarship and freshest perspectives on Maya culture. Since the publication of the previous edition, new sites have been uncovered and further excavations in old sites have proceeded at an unprecedented pace. New epigraphic, archaeological and osteological research has thrown light on the identity of the "founding fathers'' of such great sites as Tikal and Copan, and their close affiliation with Teotihuacan. The previously little-known centre of Ek' Bahlam in northeastern Yucatan has emerged as a regional kingdom of major importance, with extraordinary stucco reliefs and a plethora of painted inscriptions. This seventh edition also presents new evidence for the use of wetlands by the Classic Maya, and fresh perspectives on the catastrophic demise of Classic civilization by the close of the ninth century. A new edition of an accessible introduction to the ancient New World civilization incorporates the latest archaeological findings, including the discoveries of San Bartolo murals, new information about the founders of the Tikal and Copan communities, and the regional significance of the Ek' Balam kingdom.