The Mystery Of The Maya

The reader faces deadly dangers as a writer on assignment in Mexico to explore the ruins of the Mayan Indians and solve the mystery of why the ancient civilization collapsed.

Ancient Maya civilization thrived in the tropics of Central America for more than a thousand years and produced some of the world's finest architecture and art. Then it mysteriously vanished, leaving a landscape of ruins smothered by forests. The Classic Maya collapse is one of the great puzzles of history, ranking alongside the Fall of Rome as an enigma that has intrigued scholars for generations.

The Internet, bookshelves, and movie theaters are full of prophecies, theories, and predictions that December 21, 2012, marks the end of the world. Award-winning astronomer and Mayan researcher Aveni explores these theories, explains their origins, and measures them objectively against evidence unearthed by Maya archaeologists, iconographers, and epigraphers.

Discover the ancient Maya civilization and one of their most popular toured ancient ruined cities of Tulum, Mexico in this detailed guidebook. Th e Ancient Maya and Th eir City of Tulum: Uncovering the Mysteries of An Ancient Civilization and Th eir City of Grandeur, is an easy to read comprehensive guide to unlocking the secrets and mysteries of the ancient Maya civilization. It answers the questions that so many people ask about one of the most interesting and amazing civilizations that existed in this world and explores in depth the biggest Maya mystery of all; Th e Maya Doomsday December 21, 2012 Prophesy. It embarks upon the secrets and mysteries surrounding their calendars, their beliefs, the way in which they lived, what happened to them, and their ancient cities in this complete comprehendible guide with photographs and illustrations.

Unlock the mysteries of the Mayan world. Deep in the rain forests of South and Central America, the Mayan culture thrived for almost 4,000 years. From the earliest Mayan farmer in 2,600 BC through the thirteenth century AD, the Maya developed an elaborate society, built great cities and temples, and created the only real system of writing native to the Americas. Although many of the intricacies of the Mayan culture remain shrouded in mystery, hundreds of new discoveries have come to light in recent years, and our body of knowledge about the Maya has grown by leaps and bounds. Now, the most fascinating new discoveries have been compiled into one volume: Secrets of the Maya, a book from the editors of Archaeology Magazine. From the discovery of ancient caves used for religious rituals—including human sacrifice—to the search for the long-lost "White City," Secrets of the Maya will take readers on an exciting and surprising archaeological journey. Featuring articles on the latest research, a comprehensive time line, and a special section on Mayan hieroglyphs, Secrets of the Maya will appeal to experts and amateurs alike.

Explores the advanced civilization and unsolved mysteries of the Maya who reigned for over 2000 years and then disappeared.

The Maya created one of the world's most brilliant civilizations, famous for its art, astronomy, and deep fascination with the mystery of time. Despite collapse in the ninth century, Spanish invasion in the sixteenth, and civil war in the twentieth, eight million people in Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico speak Mayan languages and maintain their resilient culture to this day. Traveling through Central America's jungles and mountains, Ronald Wright explores the ancient roots of the Maya, their recent troubles, and prospects for survival. Embracing history, anthropology, politics, and literature, Time Among the Maya is a riveting journey through past magnificence and the study of an enduring civilization with much to teach the present. "Wright's unpretentious narrative blends anthropology, archaeology, history, and politics with his own entertaining excursions and encounters." -- The New Yorker; "Time Among the Maya shows Wright to be far more than a mere storyteller or descriptive writer. He is an historical philosopher with a profound understanding of other cultures." -- Jan Morris, The Independent (London).

The first study devoted to a single sculptor in ancient America, as understood through four unprovenanced masterworks traced to a small sector of Guatemala. In 1950, Dana Lamb, an explorer of some notoriety, stumbled on a Maya ruin in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala. Lamb failed to record the location of the site he called Laxtunich, turning his find into the mystery at the center of this book. The lintels he discovered there, long since looted, are probably of a set with two others that are among the masterworks of Maya sculpture from the Classic period. Using fieldwork, physical evidence, and Lamb’s expedition notes, the authors identify a small area with archaeological sites where the carvings were likely produced. Remarkably, the vividly colored lintels, replete with dynastic and cosmic information, can be assigned to a carver, Mayuy, who sculpted his name on two of them. To an extent nearly unique in ancient America, Mayuy can be studied over time as his style developed and his artistic ambition grew. An in-depth analysis of Laxtunich Lintel 1 examines how Mayuy grafted celestial, seasonal, and divine identities onto a local magnate and his overlord from the kingdom of Yaxchilan, Mexico. This volume contextualizes the lintels and points the way to their reprovenancing and, as an ultimate aim, repatriation to Guatemala.

This gripping tale of twin twelve-year-olds, Verity and Ethan, who travel to Guatemala with their father, is packed full of archaeological intrigue. Whilst excavating a newly found Maya city, an ancient mask is discovered. Is the mask the cause of the end of the Maya civilisation, or is something more underhand going on? Will these children find out the answer as they deal with danger, kidnap, excitement and mystery? After the earlier death of their mother, the children have to deal with problem-solving as independent young minds in the confusing world of a foreign country. What will it take to succeed? This book melds great writing with fast-paced action and adventure, whilst also asking questions of the reader. With more than a hint of philosophy for young people, this book offers much for its readers. "Both entertaining thought-provoking, an exciting journey through danger, and philosophy, bugs, betrayal, sibling rivalry, and an awesome archaeological puzzle." ­­ Rebecca Bradley, author of Cadon Hunter