Synopses & Reviews
In this second English-language edition of one of his most notable works, Miguel Leand#243;n-Portilla explores the Maya Indiansand#8217; remarkable concepts of time. At the bookand#8217;s first appearance Evon Z. Vogt, Curator of Middle American Ethnology in Harvard University, predicted that it would become "a classic in anthropology," a prediction borne out by the continuing critical attention given to it by leading scholars.
Like no other people in history, the ancient Maya were obsessed by the study of time. Their sages framed its cycles with tireless exactitude. Yet their preoccupation with time was not limited to calendrics; it was a central trait in their evolving culture.
In this absorbing work Leand#243;n-Portilla probes the question, What did time really mean for the ancient Maya in terms of their mythology, religious thought, worldview, and everyday life? In his analysis of key Maya texts and computations, he reveals one of the most elaborate attempts of the human mind to penetrate the secrets of existence.
Synopsis
In this second English-language edition of one of his most notable works, Miguel Leandoacute;n-Portilla explores the Maya Indiansandrsquo; remarkable concepts of time. At the bookandrsquo;s first appearance Evon Z. Vogt, Curator of Middle American Ethnology in Harvard University, predicted that it would become andldquo;a classic in anthropology,andrdquo; a prediction borne out by the continuing critical attention given to it by leading scholars.
About the Author
Director of the Inter-American Indian Institute in Mexico City, Miguel Leon-Portilla is a significant young Mexican scholar. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees (summa cum laude) form Loyola University at Los Angeles and the Ph.D. from the National University of Mexico. La Filosof¡a N