Book Description
This book traces the evolution of Maya civilization through the Pre-Columbian era, a span of some 2,500 years from the origins of complex society within Mesoamerica to the end of the Pre-Columbian world with the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century. The sixth edition presents new archaeological evidence and historical studies and offers the most extensive revisions of this classic work to date. The result is the most thorough and incisive study of the origins and development of ancient Maya civilization ever published.
Customer Reviews:
dense piece of trash.......2007-10-04
What I am finding really amazing about a lot of these textbooks, is how they get reviewed here on Amazon.com. It is as if someone is taking advantage of the rating system to pump up the image of this book. Look at most of the reviews here. The tend to all be the same length and are mysteriously boastful of the quality of the text. Maybe it is just me, but I find that all the reviews have a similar slant to them.
Anyway
I am a student at McMaster University, and I found this book to be an incoherant collection. Its dense with complicated wording
Its was obviously written by an expert, but the quality of writing is lacking. Its as if Sharer just started filling up page after page with words with no regard for structure or comprehension. Its as if the goal was "hey, lets create a university text we can sell... universities needs texts for this subject and there doesn't seem to be an existing text available...we can make some money if we write one."
Its hard to really capture the essence of the book here.
but
I was really excited to take the Mayan course and learn about this ancient civilization. This textbook really just made the course a chore.
What would have been more interesting would have been a course-pack filled with independently written articles. This textbook (like most university textbooks) is a catch-all tome of meandering.
poor quality!
Don't become a victim of the university textboo industry. For those interested in the subject search for some more popular reading.
terrible!
"If I'd had more time, I'd have written a shorter book.".......2007-07-23
Had this book been less than half its size readers would end up learning much more about the Maya from it. Unfortunately, there's much too much that belongs in an Archeology 101 class here and by the time you get to some discussion of the Maya, you're half asleep. Those of us who are not reading archeology for the first time will wish the author had just kept his discussion to the Maya, as the title suggests he will, and assumed we understood the basics.
Personally, I'm still looking for a book on the Maya so that as I travel from site to site in Quintanaroo, Yucatan, Guatemala and Honduras, I will have a basic understanding of the site I'm driving to. I just booked a trip that will book me in the area of Chac Mool soon. I'll see what I can find.
Very Imformative.......2007-07-10
By far the most thorough book on the Ancient Maya I have ever seen. It covers all the history and gives a great deal of arceological information. There is also a lot of information on the religious, social, and economic life of the Maya. The book covers in great deal the history of each Mayan polity and it is very well organized. If there is anything you want to know about the Maya it will be in this book.
A Brilliant Survey of Maya Civilization.......2007-05-25
Mormons have been hitting this review. They don't want you to read what a world renown authority on the Maya says. Your positive votes are appreciated. Thanks.
Robert J. Sharer is Professor of Anthropology and Curator of the American Section of the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. His fascinating and heavy book analyses the Maya from every angle. Although Sharer does not mention the Book of Mormon, he does give a devastating answer to those who would link Meso-American civilization with the ancient Hebrews, placing such theories squarely in the 19th century.
For example, Sharer writes: "After more than a century of gathering and analyzing archaeological evidence, we have discovered nothing to support the idea of intervention by people from the Old World." "This is not to say that accidental contacts between the Old and New World peoples could not have occurred before the age of European exploration" (p. 6).
"On the basis of the available evidence, then, the courses of cultural development in the New and Old Worlds seem clearly independent of each other and devoid of significant contact until 1492" (intro., p. 7).
The ancient Maya civilization, Sharer continues, "are to be `explained' not as a product of transplanted Old World civilization, but as the result of the processes that underlie the growth of any culture, including those that develop the kind of complexity we call civilization."
"The idea, which either explicitly or implicitly asserts that the peoples of the New World were incapable of shaping their own destiny or developing sophisticated cultures independently of Old World influence, is still popular in quarters." "But this is but one more popular myth devoid of fact, for the evidence points unmistakably toward the evolution of civilization in the New World independently of developments in the Old World."
The descriptions of Maya civilization given by Sharer stand in marked contrast with the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon. Sharer writes: "Several painted pottery vessels graphically depict the use of an enema apparatus in apparently ritual settings; the direct introduction of alcoholic or hallucinogenic substances into the colon results in immediate absorption by the body, thereby hastening the effect." The purpose was to induce visions in the Maya temples and elsewhere. The hallucinogenic substances used by the Maya included morning glory and the poison glands from tropical toads.
Further, nowhere in the North or South America did the civilizations have horses, cattle, sheep, steel weapons, swords, or chariots mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
I became fascinated with the ancient Maya when some Mormon missionaries showed me "Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, by Milton R. Hunter." Because this book (2 vols) presented evidence that was the exact opposite of what I had learned in my basic anthropology class, I investigated Dr. Hunter's sources. Alas, they did not check out.
One example was Hunter's "valuable Book of Mormon evidence" that showed him standing by a wall pointing to a Maya carving on the Temple of the Wall Panels at Chichen Itza, Mexico. The carving was supposed to represent a "horse." After much research, and not finding any reference to a carving of a horse at Chichen Itza, I discovered that the carving was the damaged portion of a backwards figure "S" jaguar serpent (a feather is the horse's head).
A detailed rubbing of the stone can be seen in the "Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel," by Ralph Roys (University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1967), plate 1.
Further, nowhere in the North or South America did the civilizations have horses, cattle, sheep, steel weapons, swords, or chariots mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The Maya of real history were so ignorant of horses that when Cortes left his lame horse in the care of the Itza Maya, they fed it meat. The animal, of course, died from this strange diet.
Terrified, the Maya erected a statue in the shape of a tapir, the closest approximation to a horse in their environment. They worshipped this "horse" as Tzimin Chac, after Tzimin, the tapir, whose profile roughly resembles a horse, no other animal save the deer even approximating the alien animal.
In short, every Mormon and non-Mormon should read Sharer's book. Two other books on archaeology that I highly recommend are: "The Mound Buiders: The Archaeology of a Myth," by Robert Silverberg, and "Lost Tribes and Sunken Continents: Myth and Method in the Study of the American Indians," by Robert Wauchope. Click on the following links, then scroll down to my review. Mound Builders
Lost Tribes and Sunken Continents Myth Method in the
Please check my one-star reviews of books by Mormon writers and my non-Mormon listmania.
Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon
Your comments--positive or negative--are appreciated. Thanks.
a great text.......2007-05-05
This is the best textbook on the Ancient Maya available today. It is a large book, but it is the most comprehensive text.
Book Description
"A clear and intelligent description of the development and organization of Maya civilization." —Natural History
The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the New World's greatest ancient civilization. In these pages Professor Coe distills a lifetime's scholarship for the general reader and student.
Since the publication of the sixth edition of The Maya, new sites have been uncovered and further excavations in old sites have proceeded at an unprecedented pace. Among the many new discoveries is the chance find of extraordinary murals dating to ca. AD 100 at San Bartolo in the Petén. 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 in central Mexico. The previously little known center of Ek' Balam in northeastern Yucatan has turned out to be a regional kingdom of major importance, with extraordinary stucco reliefs and a plethora of painted inscriptions.
It has now become apparent that the birth of Maya civilization lies not in the Classic but during the Preclassic period, above all in the Mirador Basin of northern Guatemala, where the builders of gigantic ancient cities (interconnected by causeways) erected the world's largest pyramid as early as 200 BC. All of these finds suggest that we must rethink what we mean by "Classic."
The 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. 175 illustrations, 17 in color.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Inrtoduction to the Maya.......2007-08-05
This is an excellent introduction to the Maya. It is well-written and flows nicely. Of particular use are the fine illustrations that accompany the text; as you read the text you are refermed by numbers in the margin to a suitable illustration. One of the strong points of this book is that the author criticizes other works and himself in view of the latest research on the topic. The book also has an excellent bibliography that refers the reader to both scholarly and popular works.
A final strong point of this work is that it is only one-half to one-third the length of other works; better a shorter book that you will read than a longer one that will rest upon a shelf!
My only criticism of this book is the final chapter. Like many academics Prof Coe hates American influence (tourists innundate ruins, evangelical christianity threatens the shamans, and the cattle ranches that produce meat for "American hamburgers") and Republicans (things improved for the Maya with a Democrat in the White House). Also, he accepts the lies in Rigoberta Menchu's book as true.
Yet, overall this is a valuable book.
Any Author Who Can Make El Mirador Come To Life Deserves Five Stars.......2007-06-01
The ruins of the ancient Mayan city of El Mirador are deep in the jungles of northern Guatamala. Once one of the largest cities in North America with 80,000 people, El Mirador today is accessible only by helicopter or by long distance hiking. Before its mysterious abandonment in the third century AD, El Mirador boasted the Danta Pyramid, the largest structure of this type in the world. Michael Coe has written a facinating book about the world of the ancient Maya. His ability to make El Mirador and many similar sites come to life makes this book well worth the purchase price even if Yucatan and vicinity are not in one's travel plans.
Professor Coe traces the rise of Mayan civilization from earliest times, to the splendor of the Late Classic Period when as many as ten million people lived in the lowlands, to the "Mayan Apocalypse"of the eighth century AD when the greatest cities of the New World were abandoned and returned to the jungle. Each of the major sites is described in detail with a complete description of artifacts and numerous photographs and maps. The author concludes with an extended discussion of Mayan thought and culture, and with his personal tribute to "The Enduring Maya". The Mayan population of southern Mexico and Central America has returned to over seven million people despite five hundred years of European diseases and economic oppression.
It is important that we not miss the practical implications of this book. The "Mayan Apocalpse" had ecological roots. The population had increased beyond the carrying capacity of the land, and there was massive deforestation and soil erosion. Years of severe drought followed. There is currently a debate about whether global warming is real, and if so whether it matters. One of the first great civilizations in the New World came to a disastrous end because of its inability or unwillingness to deal with environmental issues. We need to draw proper conclusions from the Mayan experience.
A very good introduction to Maya archeology.......2007-03-29
From one of the most important mayanists, a very good introduction to Maya archeology.
Introduction to the Mayan culture.......2007-01-10
I found this book to be a very good introduction to the Mayan culture, however, introduction may be an understatement. This book is very indepth, and academic in nature which gives it a high level of credibility.
The Gold Standard by which to measure all others.......2006-03-10
Tho' I was "just" wanting to be informed before my brief trip to Mexico, it was a joy to read the Michael Coe book, & immerse myself in this rich history of the Mayan people. It made my visits to the ruins so very much more rewarding than a tour book could ever begin to do!
Book Description
Reveals the common origins of the ancient Egyptian and Mayan civilizations.
• Shows how these cultures had the ability to gaze into the heavens to predict the future unfolding of humanity and their place within the cosmic order.
• The author's revelations about the Freemasons' connection to this ancient knowledge generated a firestorm of controversy in Europe.
• By the author of the bestseller The Mayan Prophecies.
Maurice Cotterell's background as a scientist, mathematician, and engineer helped him to decipher the code of the ancient Maya, revealing the mystery of their science and religion to an extent never before possible. Using the same techniques, the author turns his attention here to deciphering the secrets encoded within the tomb of Tutankhamun. His extensive research revealed that both the ancient Egyptians and the Maya possessed a sophisticated understanding of sun spot activity and other astronomical phenomena--facts recently confirmed by modern science. Knowledge of the connections between solar patterns and human destiny allowed the Egyptians and Maya to harness the energy generated by the sun to achieve spiritual enlightenment and soul growth.Â
The link between reincarnation and solar energy encoded in the tombs of Tutankhamun and the Mayan Lord Pacal is a jealously guarded secret held by a select number of occult groups, including the higher orders of Freemasonry. The author unleashed a firestorm of controversy in Europe when he exposed much of the esoteric knowledge of the Freemasons, including one of the society's most carefully concealed secrets: incarnate gods like Lord Pacal and Tutankhamun have come to earth to help humans achieve spiritual enlightenment, soul growth, and individual realization as solar beings.Â
Customer Reviews:
I look at the stars at night and my mind just drifts away.......2007-10-08
Amazing, spiritual and full of incredible secrets. I wish I have read this book before I travelled to Egypt and Mexico. I remember the places, but at that time I could not understand all the details and the story behind it. This book explains in such details the way of thinking and planning of little details for future generations to discover the secrets of The Mayan, Tutankhamun Prophecies.
After reading this book, I look at the stars at night and my mind just drifts away.
K Shea.......2004-08-18
Solar flares are the reason behind all our problems and the the world can only be saved by mathamaticians. Aside from the usual "Hey look Mom, I figured out the meaning of the pyramids" stuff that seems to be in all of these esoteric books there is a smacking of truth in amongst all the those calculations. It may not be enough to support some of the theories put forward by Mr. Cotterell but it is certainly food for thought. If you don't mind wading through the math, there are at least 144,000 seperate calculations, then I would reccommend the reading.
The tutankhamon speculations........2004-07-15
The book starts with a short introduction of previous work the author has done regarding the Mayan culture. As he explains, he cracked a secret code the Mayans used to leave messages to future finders. The code involved a jade mask and a lid of a sarcophagus. The author discovered that when one projects images of these mirror onto itself, new pictures form. He presents the readers with his ideas regarding these images and the explanation thereof.
In my opinion, the author makes a few excellent points in this introduction, and I do genuinely believe he really is onto something regarding secret messages and the way to decode them; however I cannot help but feel as if at times the author sees things that really aren't there. He is determined to prove himself right, and thus presents 'evidence' that's at times very meager and very open for discuussion.
After this introduction, the author switches from the Mayans to the Egyptians, and specifically secret messages left in Tutankhamon's tomb in the form of objects. Obviously a great lover of math, he picks a few random objects from the treasure and goes on to analyze them. All their pecurilarities are counted, multiplied, and summed up to always come to the same set of numbers.
Again, I cannot help but feel as if the author is trying to fit everything to his own conclusions. He believes the Tutankhamon is one of the super-gods, just like the Mayan emporer, Buddham and Jesus. He presents his case by referring to the divine number 144,000, and various things that links the Mayan emporer to Tutankhamon (For instance, both are identified with a feathered snake. The Mayan emporer by Quetzeqotl, Tutankhamon by the cobra and the eagle of his crown). Furthermore, he draws a few conclusions that are blatantly speculative in my opinion. As an example, the author quotes a list of known 64 pharaos, noting that neither Achnaton nor Tutankhamon (Achnaton's son) were recorded on this list. Then, he tries proving that a necklace found in the tomb, carrying 64 complete and 2 broken beads, represents this list. This is in my humble opinion, a little far fetched.
The third part of the book starts with an account of a UFO sighting, and moves from energy lines to telepatism, and how freemasons possess secret ancient knowledge. Why this is included in the same book is a puzzle to me; the connection to the 'middle chapter' about Egypt is unclear, and the third part is highly speculative.
All in all, I'd recommend against buying this book. I do fully intend to read the author's other book on the cracking of the Mayan code, but feel as if I gained very little by reading this book; loosely linked theories are presented by the author as solid evidence, and used to prove other theories assumptions he makes. All this leads me to believe the case the author is trying to build is shaky at the best.
Completely Awesome!.......2004-01-08
Serious evolutionist beware! this is the book you have been looking for...Covers so much
A Book That Will Shake Your Senses.......2003-05-25
I bought this book thinking it was reference about the Mayan calendar end date. I was wrong. This book is a totally new revelation of an age-old theory that was concealed within the ancient carvings of two breathtaking civilizations, and a secret society with an agenda not known to anyone. What totally interested me is the sceitific approach Cotterell took in his analysis, and although his methods might seem to some people as intricately improbable, I think that he employed the sciences of maths and physics into an outstanding revelation of ancient knowledge. I think most readers of this genre are true believers that ancient wisdom outmatches our own, and that the knowledge known to our great ancestors will probably never be available to us. So in this fine work of his, Cotterell analysed buildings, tombs, treasures and literature of ancient Maya and Egypt, applying numerous scientific theories and equations to draw on his conclusions. I personally am a big fanatic of ancient civilizations and I believe that the Mayan culture was narrowed down to its calendar, while the secrets within their culture are uncountable. Same goes with the Egyptians who mystified the new world with their culture. The greatest thing about this book is that it attempts to create bonds between its different conclusions, and it never fails to back up any statement with illustrations and scientific proof. By the end of part 1 I was amazed, and although I haven't read Cotterell's first book, The Supergods, this book managed to give me a fair summary of what the previous one concluded. The secret revealed is not anything you would expect. Some might believei it's a simple idea, while I personally believe it's an outstanding revelation. If you're a reader of Zecheria Sitchin, Erich Von Deineken or others in this genre, you will most likely ponder for hours after reading this one.
Book Description
Arthur Demarest brings the lost civilization of Maya to life by applying a holistic view to the most recently discovered archaeological evidence. His theoretical interpretation simultaneously emphasizes the brilliant rain forest adaptations of the ancient Maya and the Native American spirituality that permeated all aspects of their daily life. Drawing on data from the latest significant archaeological research in Central America, this new study appeals to those interested in the ecological bases of civilization, the function of the state and the causes of the collapse of civilizations.
Customer Reviews:
Mayan Royal Rock Stars.......2005-03-05
This is a must read for anyone interested in the ancient Maya and why their advanced civilization that had achieved so much under such harsh conditions suddenly collapsed and disappeared for parts unknown. Demarest argues that the collapse was political rather than the most widely accepted paradigm that it was ecological. He concludes that the collapse was due to a proliferation of royal elites competing for power, similar to the present situation in Saudi Arabia. Warfare between these competing elites caused a collapse during a 100 year period that resulted in a depopulation of major cities and a drastic reduction of palace and temple construction. The book is worth reading if only for Demarest's description of the Wizard of Oz type power structure where Mayan royal elites held power through fantastic ritualistic displays that captivated the masses. He describes the Mayan royal elites as a combination of rock stars, evangelical preachers, and circus performers that dressed in elaborate costumes with feathered head dresses, lit fires with pyrite mirrors, and engaged in public displays of blood letting. Demarest even relates the Mayan architecture to theater with temples high above plazas where the masses could observe rituals. The book is easy to read for layman.
Average customer rating:
- Nice oversize catalog of Mesoamerican art and culture, with problems: 3.7 stars
- An exhaustive pictoral tour of the areas mesoamerican ruins
- A gorgeous book of ancient cultures
- Not for archaeology buffs only!
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Ancient Mexico: The History and Culture of the Maya, Aztects and Other Pre-Columbian Peoples
Maria Longhena
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
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Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya
ASIN: 1556708262 |
Amazon.com
First-rate color photography makes this look at the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica a valuable addition to any art lover's library collection. Among the civilizations represented in nearly 450 illustrations are the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Toltecs. Readers will learn not only about the mighty pyramids of Tenochtitlan and Cacaxtla, the Temple of the Paintings at Bonampak, and the ball courts of El Tajin, but about smaller ceramic vessels, jade figurines, and other ceremonial objects. Although the text does acknowledge the near-complete destruction of these vibrant cultures by Spanish conquistadors, the majority of its contents are devoted to celebrating what the Mesoamericans did accomplish--and what has been preserved for us to remember those accomplishments.
Customer Reviews:
Nice oversize catalog of Mesoamerican art and culture, with problems: 3.7 stars.......2007-01-31
This oversize coffee-table book has beautifully reproduced, well-chosen photographs, but significant drawbacks.
Pluses:
* Excellent photos of iconic objects
* Good cross-section of prehispanic Mesoamerican artwork/artifacts
* Nice feature articles on many major archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras
Neutral:
* Average-quality text (translated from Italian)
Negatives:
* No decent overall map of the area
* Maps of cultures are so general as to be almost useless
So, this shouldn't be your only guide to prehispanic Mesoamerican history. But the high quality of the photos makes it worthwhile if you find an inexpensive copy. I haven't seen the recent B&N reprint.
Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman
An exhaustive pictoral tour of the areas mesoamerican ruins.......2003-04-12
BEAUTIFUL enormous glossy full-color photos that do more justice to the Mexican ruins than any other book I have EVER SEEN!! I love this book SO MUCH that, since I couldn't afford to BUY it, I went in to the bookstore about once every month or 2 for a YEAR AND A HALF to visit it, pore over it and covet it until a friend took pity on me and bought it for me as a gift! I have BEEN to several of the ruins pictured here, and they are MASTERFULLY captured in the photographs. The author even includes some of the little, lesser-known sites, such as Dzibilchaltun, especially dear to me as my Mexican host family took me there on a family day outing!! This book is just AWESOME!!!
A gorgeous book of ancient cultures.......2002-01-19
This book is packed with information and color photographs of the ancient cultures of Mexico, from the Olmecs to the Zapotecs to the Mayas to the Aztecs. The author even includes sections on the lesser known and understood cultures of Western Mexico. With a fold-out time line and detailed maps of the most famous archaeological sites, this book gives a good overview of the history of these cultures - and then hones in on specifics such as dress, burial customs, religion, war, and games. Extensive attention is also given to the major cities representing these peoples. With color photographs on nearly every page, this is a gorgeous addition to any library. As a reference book, or even as a coffee table book to browse through occasionally, ANCIENT MEXICO can't be beat.
Not for archaeology buffs only!.......2001-05-23
This book takes the reader thorough the history of pre-columbian mesoamerica, the daily life of the people and then tours a number of important archaeological sites in Mexico and nearby countries. It includes wonderful photos of amazing artifacts decorative pieces, ceramics and jeewlry and the archaeological sites. It is a stunning book and serves to emphasize the colossal loss the Americas sustained with the conquest. If you've been to Mexico and love it, this book is a nice memento. If you havn't, this will make you want to go.
Book Description
Reveals the Mayan calendar to be a spiritual device that describes the evolution of human consciousness from ancient times into the future
• Shows the connection between cosmic evolution and actual human history
• Provides a new science of time that explains why time not only seems to be speeding up in the modern world but is actually getting faster
• Explains how the end of the Mayan calendar is not the end of the world, but a path toward enlightenment
The prophetic Mayan calendar is not keyed to the movement of planetary bodies. Instead, it functions as a metaphysical map of the evolution of consciousness and records how spiritual time flows--providing a new science of time.
The calendar is associated with nine creation cycles, which represent nine levels of consciousness or Underworlds on the Mayan cosmic pyramid. Through empirical research Calleman shows how this pyramidal structure of the development of consciousness can explain things as disparate as the common origin of world religions and the modern complaint that time seems to be moving faster. Time, in fact, is speeding up as we transition from the materialist Planetary Underworld of time that governs us today to a new and higher frequency of consciousness--the Galactic Underworld--in preparation for the final Universal level of conscious enlightenment. Calleman reveals how the Mayan calendar is a spiritual device that enables a greater understanding of the nature of conscious evolution throughout human history and the concrete steps we can take to align ourselves with this growth toward enlightenment.
Customer Reviews:
The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness.......2007-01-09
This book is very technical and takes a while to read. However, the information is important enough to take the time to read the book.
Thought-provoking work not to be ignored..........2006-12-31
Carl Johan Calleman applies a convincing interpretation of the evolution of consciousness to the Mayan Calendar system, provoking interesting possibilities over the next 6 years for energies that might become available to anyone open to working with them. Far from fatalistic, he promotes a view of rapidly increasing opportunity. Getting there however, may not be easy. The first part of the book is rather dense, and the references (to illustrations, etc.) jump all over the place, so stick with it - it's worth it.
Provocative, Mind-Blowing Esotericism.......2006-10-27
I've bought approximately nine copies of this book. When I first started reading it I wanted to shout from the rooftops that Calleman had discovered the spiritual rosetta stone that would unify all religious traditions. I found it inspiring, provocative and informative. Having bought so many copies and distributed them to interested friends and acquaintances I can also say very few will respond to this material the way I did. I would recommend it to anyone interested in comparative religion, Mayan and Aztec religion & History, World History & Religion and for those who want to speculate what the next decade may hold in store for humanity.
Read Callemans Other Mayan Calendar Book FIRST!.......2006-09-14
The authors first book on this subject, after years spent deciphering and interpreting from the historical remains, is called "Solving the Greatest Mystery of Our time : The Mayan Calendar (Paperback)" and is far, far more detailed than this book which relates more to spirituality and evolutionary theories of prophetic understanding. The other book is much more detailed in the math and base 20 number system that they used to count all the way back 16,640,000,000 years ago and by the Gregorian Date of October 28, 2011 - when the Mayan Calendar 360 Day Caldendar Count will flip from when it started almost 16.64 Billion Years ago. By then anything that could, would or should have happened will have already manifest our collective evolutionary destiny.
That is correct as you read it: the date of the big bang and the age of the universe, or it will be, in a few years when the whole 16+Billion will start again at zero and evolution will begin again - on a new wave length frequency for each level of 9 there are in the the cycles of billions of years. It is extremely complicated, do not expect to understand more than just the idea for at least the first month or two. Gradually, it will get to be easier but at first it is a shock and challenge to the one stable, steady force structuring and scripting all of the lives on the planet who all subscribe to the calendar. Between the days of the year, time of day and holidays there is nothing about the calendar that we have ever questioned except to compare our system.
However, no good reason exists for blind allegience to a system of counting days of the week and seasons of the year devised by Pope Gregory in 1519 AD. We have all heard the reason, it was to correct the deficiencies of the Julian which was then out of whack by over ten days and something needed to be done to know when to plant crops, when to harvest and when to pay taxes. The sole purposes of the Gregorian Calendar was to get everyone to church on time every week, pay the Sunday tithe in Mass, plant the crops in the spring on time and harvest in the fall - on time to pay the annual taxes.
So the Julian was really replaced to divert any notice of the Mayan system which was discovered by Cortez in 1519 during the Conquistadors. It was a calendar the Pope needed to keep track of the year DURING the year (the word 'calendar' is from Old French 'calendier' from Latin 'kalendarium' or 'account book'). But the Mayans had a calendar for that and it is more accurate than the one Pope Gregory imposed and they used the 'Haab' for agriculture but they were not watching and guessing about the purpose of their ingenuity. They already knew what they were counting, which were days every day.
So, what we call a calendar today is largely what it has always been used for in recent history ("a chart or series of pages showing the days, weeks and months or a particular year, or giving particular seasonal information.") The Mayans were counting time, in a precise system accurate to a greater degree than we are still today.
Like I said, extremely complicated, frustrating and in my opinion, if it inspires you then you have your work cut out for you, dig in and get on with expanding your consciousness. If it does not make sense, or it is distasteful, offensive or creates an uncontrollable need to be critical or condescending without understanding, well I will hope that inspiration finds all of us soon.
When it finds you, come find this book!
Do not go back to sleep.......2006-09-03
Well researched well written book about the Mayan Calendar and what it might mean to us today.
Easy to read and understand.2012 is not to be feared but looked at the possibility of how the world is changing and why. Barbara Hand Clow uses this book in her current work as I do to help people wake up to the changes that are happening. It is not the end of the world but a new world everyday to awaken to, appreciate and live in.
Book Description
Discover the ancient Maya culture with these fun games and activities!
Make a Maya pyramid. Mix up a Chili Chocolate Drink. Create a macaw headdress. While reading The Maya, you'll have a great time exploring the cultural traditions of this innovative people as you learn to write in the Mayan language, make a mosaic jade mask in the likeness of one of their rulers, and test your skills as you play Maya games.
This book is filled with activities and projects that will show you how the Maya people lived and played, as well as how they managed to create a civilization that lasted almost 4,000 years! You'll learn about the bravery of Maya warriors as you construct a war shield. You'll discover how to read ancient Maya hieroglyphs and even create your own glyph rubbing, just like the scribes used to do! You'll get to solve math problems using Maya numbers-and then come up with your own problems to try on your friends! Plus, you'll find lots of amazing Maya facts on topics ranging from history and government to foods and arts to science and architecture. So be prepared for lots of fun as you discover the ancient secrets of The Maya.
Book Description
The myths and beliefs of the great pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica have baffled and fascinated outsiders ever since the Spanish Conquest. Yet, until now, no single-volume introduction has existed to act as a guide to this labyrinthine symbolic world. The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya is the first-ever English-language dictionary of Mesoamerican mythology and religion. Nearly 300 entries, from accession to yoke, describe the main gods and symbols of the Olmecs, Zapotecs, Maya, Teotihuacanos, Mixtecs, Toltecs, and Aztecs. Topics range from jaguar and jester gods to reptile eye and rubber, from creation accounts and sacred places to ritual practices such as bloodletting, confession, dance, and pilgrimage. In addition, two introductory essays provide succinct accounts of Mesoamerican history and religion, while a substantial bibliographical survey directs the reader to original sources and recent discussions. Dictionary entries are illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned line drawings. Mary Miller and Karl Taube draw on their research in the fast-changing field of Maya studies, and on the latest Mexican discoveries, to produce an authoritative work that will serve as a standard reference for students, scholars, and travelers.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent book: A "MUST BUY".......2006-05-14
-- *VERY* COMPREHENSIVE; an excellent book: A "MUST BUY"
Anyone serious about understanding the Aztec mind and social order should read both "Time and Sacrifice in the Aztec Cosmos" (K. A. Read) and also, "THE JADE STEPS" by Burr Cartwright Brundage (University of Utah Press; (c)1985; ISBN# 0-87480-247-4). FYI, Dr. Brundage has authored nearly a dozen extraordinarily well written and researched books on Aztec civilization; most are (sadly) tough to find.
Great book for the amature Mayanist!.......2003-03-21
This is a great refereance book for the amature Mayanist. "Gods and Symbols" is filled with specialized facts, covering subjects from Olmec to Aztec times in good detail. It is readable for both beginners and experts. The amount of information can be overwhelming at times; it therefore is useful to have some background knowledge beforehand to be able to place facts in a larger contextual framework. However, the book's intent is to be a refereance work so this should be expected.
Already a classic.......2001-03-05
One of THE definitive reference works for everyone even remotely interested in the cultures of ancient Mesoamerica, "Gods and Symbols" well comprises the most important as well as more specialized facts, covering all its subjects from Olmec to Aztec times in the same amount of detail. It's written to be accessible to both beginners and people more firm with the subjects, and certainly offers more than enough for both groups. However, although the cross-references are fine, the encyclopaedic, culture-jumping approach makes for a somewhat fractured read, and the sheer amount of information can prove overwhelming at times; it therefore could be useful to have some background knowledge beforehand that can help you place facts in a larger contextual framework when you need to. However, this hardly is a reason for criticism given the book's intent, and it doesn't stop it from being a highly readable standard work I can unhesitatingly recommend to just about anyone.
Gift from the Gods.......2000-11-22
I am not a seven year grad student of the authors but a curious amateur anthropologist, former history teacher who loves art. That said this is the perfect book for the average layman, not too technical or with an overabundance of esoteric jargon. ... This book is filled with just about everything you need to know about the fabulous cultures that existed in Meso-America. All the famous cultures are covered including the Toltecs, Olmecs, Zapotecs and every other "tec" or "mec" you could imagine. Although the focus is the Gods, it is nearly impossible to cover the Gods without adressing the issue of culture. Some very fascinating information that even the most knowledgeable of readers will find captivating. Upon first getting the book I went through half the book in one sitting!! No matter your base of understanding there is something to learn here. A reference book but yet very readable as it is well written and full of great illustrations and photgraphs. The good thing is that if you don't feel like reading page after page, some drawing will catch your fancy and the next thing you know you are reading about it. So whatever the mood there is something here for the reader at all times. The paper is of thick stock and the size is handy enough to put in your backpack to take anywhere. Since I am not a scholar and have a limited understanding of the subjects, much clarification was given to issues I knew about but didn't fully understand. ... So the book is full of information that clarifies and breaks down all aspects of ancient Mexico, even those that have somehow been lost in the shuffle of modern times. Arranged as any dictionary alphabetically, it is a valuable source of information for all interested in Meso-American Gods and symbols and their meanings. There is a brief introduction that gives an overview of the time periods covered and the cultures that is very concise and informative. This is followed by an index that has the subjects covered in an easy to find format if you are looking for a particular subject. The end includes a guide to sources and a bibliography for furhter study. Especially recommended for students, artists or history buffs this is a book that compliments any library that features books about Mexico prior to the conquest. Truly a gift of the Gods, the ancient symbols are preserved and explained here in this compendium by way of the east coast to the Pacific rim. I'll learn much from this book for years to come.
The Quintessential Guide to the Gods of Ancient Mesoamerica!.......1999-04-07
I am a seven-year graduate student of Dr. Karl Taube, at the University of California, Riverside. I highly recommend this text to anyone interested in the gods, religion, or iconography of ancient Mesoamerica. There exists no book in English comparable to this one. This book is concise, yet packed with a plethora of hand-drawn illustrations by the authors and laden with inumerable useful tidbits of interest to scholars, lay-men, art historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians. Quite honestly, this book is perfect for anyone needing a quick but poignant and on-the-mark "dictionary" type reference from two of the best cutting-edge scholars in ancient Mesoamerican studies today. You will definately get your money's worth with this choice - buy it today! By-the-way, this is an unpaid advertisement; strictly a humble review by a graduate student who worships the ground Drs. Taube and Miller walk on - tanslated, not biased in the least.
Book Description
Until about forty years ago, the ancient Maya hieroglyphics and the world they described remained virtually indecipherable. Now Secrets in Stone takes readers into the world of the ancient Maya code and explains how it was deciphered and what it all means. Not only is this the first book on the subject for children, this book also comes with its very own UV-raised "Glyphmaster," which allows budding archaeologists to create glyph rubbings, just like real archaeologists, Ancient Egyptians hueroglyphics have long captivated the interest of children. Now, inquisitive minds will relish developing their own secret codes and messages with over fifty Maya hieroglyphs.
Customer Reviews:
Learn All About Mayan Hieroglyphs! .......2007-10-17
This is a great book for introducing children and others about hieroglyphics. I thought it was great for myself even. The book tells the history of diciphering the Mayan hieroglyphs. While the Egyptian hieroglyphs had the Rosetta Stone, there was no Rosetta stone for the Mayan. Archeologists needed to learn how to count and tell time, then went from there. Very interesting.
Great Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphics!.......2004-04-15
My 5 yo daughter pulled this off the shelf of our local library and said, "I want to read about Egypt." I glanced at the book and almost put it back when I saw what the topic really was. But, then I decided, "Hey, if she thinks it looks interesting, let's read it." Surprise! My 8 yo, she, and I all loved the book! We checked it out again recently, and my older child (who is now 9) devoured it in one sitting.
Learning how to read the hieroglyphs is a blast, and I loved the puzzles that the author sets for the reader. He has you find particular hieroglyphs in actual Maya inscriptions. I have seen some of the Maya ruins and loved them long before this book was published, but this book adds so much depth to the study of Maya history.
Plus, the book has raised hieroglyphs on the inside covers. You can then make rubbings of the hieroglyphs to form different words. A great purchase!
It's alright.........2003-12-02
well done, but I could have done without the part about burning blood as a sacrafice. Also the story about the vampire bat.My daughter is in third grade,I am not sure if that story would scare her, but it certainly is not necessary. Seems to me like the author added some gore just to keep older kids reading. The book is well done, I would have liked to have given it 5 stars.
Book Description
The central goal of this book is to contribute to the timely discussion and understanding of Maya sacrifice and related posthumous body manipulation. Most school children in the US learn about the Maya and their practices based on their cultural and religious beliefs in their Social Studies classes. But a number of new sites have been discovered, giving an interdisciplinary group of researchers a channel to discuss these acts and their meaning.
The editors bring together not only archaeologists but anthropologists, forensic anthropologists, art historians and bioarchaeologists, giving the volume a more complete perspective on these sites and the material culture and biological evidence found there. The field of archaeology is growing to include the physical remains of ritual practice along with the material remains and this book can be seen as an example of who the study of ancient civilizations can be more comprehensive. Additionally, this is an international volume with scholars from the area studied which is becoming more and more important in archaeological research.
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