The Maya

The first of the three volumes on the ancient civilizations of the pre-Columbian America is dedicated to the Olmecs and the Maya, i.e. the two principal Mesoamerican civilizations that developed in the tropical regions, the "green heart" of the southeast. The sequence of the chapters will enable the reader to follow the cultural development of the tropical regions in chronological order, commencing with the Olmec domains and their imposing monumental sculpture, then progressing to the social and cultural reorganization that followed the collapse of the Olmec world, and on to the extraordinary development of the Mayan city states of the classical period, which constitute authentic artistic "gems" of the southern forests. The book is aimed at non-specialist readers and is consequently written in clear and easily understandable language. It will present the Olmec and Maya civilizations in the light of the very latest discoveries and interpretations, thus attempting to counter the perpetuation of old cliches that still all too often prevent the full understanding of the dynamism of the cultural and political events of these distant lands.
This is the first of three volumes on the ancient civilizations of pre-Columbian America.