The Maya: a Very Short Introduction

The Maya: a Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Matthew Restall
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190645024
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control. There was never a single, unified Maya state or empire, but always numerous, evolving ethnic groups speaking dozens of distinct Mayan languages. The people we call "Maya" never thought of themselves as such; yet something definable, unique, and endlessly fascinating - what we call Maya culture - has clearly existed for millennia. So what was their self-identity and how did Maya civilization come to be "invented?" With the Maya historically subdivided and misunderstood in so many ways, the pursuit of what made them "the Maya" is all the more important. In this Very Short Introduction, Restall and Solari explore the themes of Maya identity, city-state political culture, art and architecture, the Maya concept of the cosmos, and the Maya experience of contact with including invasion by outsiders. Despite its brevity, this book is unique for its treatment of all periods of Maya civilization, from its origins to the present.

The Maya: a Very Short Introduction

The Maya: a Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Matthew Restall
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190645024
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 143

Get Book

Book Description
The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control. There was never a single, unified Maya state or empire, but always numerous, evolving ethnic groups speaking dozens of distinct Mayan languages. The people we call "Maya" never thought of themselves as such; yet something definable, unique, and endlessly fascinating - what we call Maya culture - has clearly existed for millennia. So what was their self-identity and how did Maya civilization come to be "invented?" With the Maya historically subdivided and misunderstood in so many ways, the pursuit of what made them "the Maya" is all the more important. In this Very Short Introduction, Restall and Solari explore the themes of Maya identity, city-state political culture, art and architecture, the Maya concept of the cosmos, and the Maya experience of contact with including invasion by outsiders. Despite its brevity, this book is unique for its treatment of all periods of Maya civilization, from its origins to the present.

Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World

Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World PDF Author: Lynn V. Foster
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195183634
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
This comprehensive and accessible reference explores the greatest and most mysterious of civilizations, hailed for its contributions to science, mathematics, and technology. Each chapter is supplemented by an extensive bibliography as well as photos, original line drawings, and maps.

The Aztecs

The Aztecs PDF Author: David Carrasco
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195379381
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
Illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. Readers meet a people highly skilled in sculpture, astronomy, city planning, poetry, and philosophy, who were also profoundly committed to cosmic regeneration through the thrust of the ceremonial knife and through warfare.

An Introduction to the Study of the Maya Hieroglyphs

An Introduction to the Study of the Maya Hieroglyphs PDF Author: Sylvanus Griswold Morley
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 1465582436
Category : Maya calendar
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description


Maya Nature

Maya Nature PDF Author: Thor Janson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description


Mayan Civilization

Mayan Civilization PDF Author: Henry Freeman
Publisher:
ISBN: 1095620746
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
Making sense of our universe...It's an age-old practice that transcends cultures and generations. From our vantage point, the larger than life Maya civilization grappled with the urge in a grand scale. Join us as we take a voyage to understand the ways of the Maya. Inside you will read about... ✓ Who Made Contact? Early Explorers and their Impact ✓ How the Maya Wanted to Be Represented - History Written by the Victors ✓ Different Periods of Maya History ✓ Larger Than Life ✓ New Findings We'll learn what they held as sacred, how the sacred manifested itself in their lives, and about efforts to accurately portray them, despite romanticized versions. This eBook provides a deeper look at their pre-Columbian battling dynasties and their highly-structured approach to religion, science and society, as we explore their glories and misfortunes.

Mayan Civilization

Mayan Civilization PDF Author: Hourly History
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781537585826
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
Mayan History Making sense of our universe...It's an age-old practice that transcends cultures and generations. From our vantage point, the larger than life Maya civilization grappled with the urge in a grand scale. Join us as we take a voyage to understand the ways of the Maya. Inside you will read about... - Who Made Contact? Early Explorers and their Impact - How the Maya Wanted to Be Represented - History Written by the Victors - Different Periods of Maya History - Larger Than Life - New Findings We'll learn what they held as sacred, how the sacred manifested itself in their lives, and about efforts to accurately portray them, despite romanticized versions. This eBook provides a deeper look at their pre-Columbian battling dynasties and their highly-structured approach to religion, science and society, as we explore their glories and misfortunes.

The Mongols

The Mongols PDF Author: Morris Rossabi
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 019984089X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 159

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Book Description
The Mongols carved out the largest land-based empire in world history, stretching from Korea to Russia in the north and from China to Syria in the south in the thirteenth century. Along with their leader Chinggis Khan they conjure up images of plunder and total destruction. Although this book does not ignore the devastation and killings wrought by the Mongols, it also reveals their contributions to governance, arts, culture, and the promotion of trade. The Mongol peace resulted in considerable travel and relations among numerous merchants, scientists, artists, missionaries, and entertainers of different ethnic groups. It is no accident that Europeans, including Marco Polo, first reached China in this period. Eurasian and perhaps global history starts with the Mongol empire.

The Popol Vuh

The Popol Vuh PDF Author: Lewis Spence
Publisher: New York : AMS Press
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description


The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction

The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Helen Graham
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780192803771
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
"Helen Graham highlights the domestic and international context of the Spanish Civil War, and reveals its origins in the political and cultural anxieties provoked by the rapid modernization of Europe. Using personal narratives, she combines a powerfully human account of the war an its aftermath with a disturbing ethical enquiry into its legacy for the 21st century."--BOOK JACKET.