Proceedings of the conference "The Origins of Maya States," held in Philadelphia, April 10-13, 2007.

This book examines the emergence of political institutions in Maya civilization through studies of landscape, architecture and material culture.

Of Archaic and Early Preclassic developments -- Patterns in the evolution of Mesoamerican civilization -- 5. The emergence of Maya civilization in the Middle Preclassic -- The emergence of complex societies -- Markers of complex societies -- The Pacific plain in the Middle Preclassic -- Middle Preclassic commodities and monuments -- The highlands in the Middle Preclassic -- The lowlands in the Middle Preclassic -- Middle Preclassic communities -- The rise of complex society in the lowlands -- Further Middle Preclassic developments in the lowlands -- Summary : the Middle Preclassic precursors of Maya civilization -- 6. The origins of Maya states in the Late Preclassic -- Late Preclassic Maya civilization and writing traditions-- The Late Preclassic Isthmian tradition -- The Late Preclassic Southern Maya -- Highland-lowland interaction in the Preclassic -- The Maya lowlands in the Late Preclassic -- Patterns of Late Preclassic rulership -- Preclassic developments in the Northern lowlands -- Late Preclassic lowland Maya civilization -- Decline in the terminal Preclassic -- Summary : reconstructing the Maya Preclassic -- 7. The expansion of Maya states in the Early Classic -- The Early Classic and the origins of Maya civilization -- The Southern Maya area in the Classic Period -- The Classic transition in the lowlands -- The expansion of states in the Maya lowlands -- Competition and warfare in the Classic lowlands -- The Early Classic in the Maya lowlands -- The rise of Tikal in the Early Classic (ca. 100-378) -- Neighboring centers in the central lowlands (ca. 328-416).

The Pre-Columbian Maya were organized into a series of independent kingdoms or polities rather than unified into a single state. The vast majority of studies of Maya states focus on the apogee of their development in the classic period, ca. 250-850 C.E. As a result, Maya states are defined according to the specific political structures that characterized classic period lowland Maya society. The Origins of Maya States is the first study in over 30 years to examine the origins and development of these states specifically during the preceding preclassic period, ca. 1000 B.C.E. to 250 C.E. Attempts to understand the origins of Maya states cannot escape the limitations of archaeological data, and this is complicated by both the variability of Maya states in time and space and the interplay between internal development and external impacts. To mitigate these factors, editors Loa P. Traxler and Robert J. Sharer assemble a collection of essays that combines an examination of topical issues with regional perspectives from both the Maya area and neighboring Mesoamerican regions to highlight the role of interregional interaction in the evolution of Maya states. Topics covered include material signatures for the development of Maya states, evaluations of extant models for the emergence of Maya states, and advancement of new models based on recent archaeological data. Contributors address the development of complexity during the preclassic era within the Maya regions of the Pacific coast, highlands, and lowlands and explore preclassic economic, social, political, and ideological systems that provide a developmental context for the origins of Maya states. Contributors: Marcello A. Canuto, John E. Clark, Ann Cyphers, Francisco Estrada-Belli, David C. Grove, Norman Hammond, Richard D. Hansen, Eleanor King, Michael Love, Simon Martin, Astrid Runggaldier, Robert Sharer, Loa Traxler.

Making sense of our universe...It's an age-old practice that transcends cultures and generations. From our vantage point, the larger than life Maya civilization grappled with the urge in a grand scale. Join us as we take a voyage to understand the ways of the Maya. Inside you will read about... ✓ Who Made Contact? Early Explorers and their Impact ✓ How the Maya Wanted to Be Represented - History Written by the Victors ✓ Different Periods of Maya History ✓ Larger Than Life ✓ New Findings We'll learn what they held as sacred, how the sacred manifested itself in their lives, and about efforts to accurately portray them, despite romanticized versions. This eBook provides a deeper look at their pre-Columbian battling dynasties and their highly-structured approach to religion, science and society, as we explore their glories and misfortunes.

Encyclopedia of the Ancient Maya offers an A-to-Z overview of the ancient Maya culture from its inception around 3000 BC to the Spanish Conquest after AD 1600. Over two hundred entries written by more than sixty researchers explore subjects ranging from food, clothing, and shelter to the sophisticated calendar and now-deciphered Maya writing system. They bring special attention to environmental concerns and climate variation; fresh understandings of shifting power dynamics and dynasties; and the revelations from emerging field techniques (such as LiDAR remote sensing) and newly explored sites (such as La Corona, Tamchen, and Yaxnohkah). This one-volume reference is an essential companion for students studying ancient civilizations, as well as a perfect resource for those planning to visit the Maya area. Cross-referencing, topical and alphabetical lists of entries, and a comprehensive index help readers find relevant details. Suggestions for further reading conclude each entry, while sidebars profile historical figures who have shaped Maya research. Maps highlight terrain, archaeological sites, language distribution, and more; over fifty photographs complement the volume.