Royal Cities of the Ancient Maya

The history of Mayan civilization as seen through the development and decline of its many impressive city-states is effectively presented here through brilliantly crafted text by Coe (anthropology, emeritus, Yale Univ.) and stunning photographs by Brukoff (Temples of Cambodia). There are fascinating glimpses, through dated stone monuments, into the hereditary lines of dynastic kings who ruled Mayan city-states and frequently did battle with each other. Coe and Brukoff briefly cover Mayan origins then seamlessly trace a succession of cities from the Late Preclassic Period (400 B.C.E.-250 C.E.), e.g., San Bartolo and El Mirador in present-day northern Guatemala, through Classic Period (250–925 C.E.) sites such as Tikal, Calakmul, Palenque, Copán, and Uxmal, sites from the Early Postclassic Period (925–1200 C.E.), which saw the invasion of the Toltecs from central Mexico and the flourishing the Toltec-influenced Mayan city of Chichén Itzá. Finally, the Late Postclassic Period (after 1200 C.E.) is represented by the small coastal city of Tulum, which may still have been occupied when the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the early 1500s.