Synopses & Reviews
This unique and extraordinary guide to seven major sites of Maya civilization highlights the pioneering work of two great scholars of ancient America. For readers at every level -- from the casual tourist to the serious student -- andlt;Iandgt;The Code of Kingsandlt;/Iandgt; relies on Linda Schele and Peter Mathews's revolutionary work in the decipherment of the hieroglyphs that cover the surfaces of Maya ruins to give us a far clearer picture of Maya culture than we have ever had. andlt;BRandgt; Richly illustrated with line art and the incomparable photography of Justin Kerr and Macduff Everton, andlt;Iandgt;The Code of Kingsandlt;/Iandgt; is a landmark contribution to our understanding of the Maya and a phenomenal guided tour of seven of the most awesome and magical spots on Earth.
Review
"A glorious summary of the Maya world." George E. Stuart, Ph.D.
vice president for research and exploration, National Geographic
Review
"Linda Schele and Peter Mathews offer a detailed introduction to the politics, religion, and histories recorded in the architecture and art of the ancient Maya." Sherman Suter
Synopsis
This unique and extraordinary guide to seven major sites of Maya civilization highlights the pioneering work of two great scholars of ancient America. For readers at every level -- from the casual tourist to the serious student --
The Code of Kings relies on Linda Schele and Peter Mathews's revolutionary work in the decipherment of the hieroglyphs that cover the surfaces of Maya ruins to give us a far clearer picture of Maya culture than we have ever had.
Richly illustrated with line art and the incomparable photography of Justin Kerr and Macduff Everton, The Code of Kings is a landmark contribution to our understanding of the Maya and a phenomenal guided tour of seven of the most awesome and magical spots on Earth.
About the Author
The late Linda Schele was the John D. Murchison Professor of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. Her books include
The Blood of Kings (with Mary Miller),
A Forest of Kings (with David Freidel), and
Maya Cosmos (with David Freidel and Joy Parker). She died in the spring of 1998.
Peter Mathews, an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Calgary, is a highly respected epigrapher and archaeologist whose publications include Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions (Harvard University Peabody Museum). He is the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" fellowship.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Acknowledgmentsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 1 Pyramid-Mountains and Plaza-Seasandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 2 Tikal: Toh-Chak-Ich'ak's Palaceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 3 Palenque: Hanab-Pakal's Tombandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 4 Copan: The Great Plaza of Waxaklahun-Ubah-K'awilandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 5 Seibal: The K'atun-ending Commemoration of Ah-Bolon-Abra Wat'ul-Chatelandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 6 Chich'en Itza: The Great Ballcourtandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 7 Uxmal: The Nunnery Quadrangle of Chan-Chak-K'ak'nal-Ahawandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 8 Iximche': The Capital of the Kaqchikel Mayaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Concordance of Maya Personal Namesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Key to Pronunciation and Orthographyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Notesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Referencesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Glossary of Gods and Supernaturalsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indexandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Illustration and Photograph Credits