Home Archaeology / Anthropology The Four Heavens: A New History of the Ancient Maya

The Four Heavens: A New History of the Ancient Maya

by Stuart, David

Regular price $27.46 USD
Regular price $45.77 USD Sale price $27.46 USD

You save $18.31 USD (40%)

In stock — Ships within 1–2 business days

Format

Print Book Currently viewing Hardcover $27.46 USD $45.77 USD
Condition
Secure CheckoutYour data is protected
Fast U.S. ShippingShips within 1–2 business days
Authentic Titles100% Genuine Books
Book Overview From the world-leading expert on the Maya, a monumental history of a flourishing civilization across three millenniaThe Four Heavens brin...

From the world-leading expert on the Maya, a monumental history of a flourishing civilization across three millennia

The Four Heavens brings to life the cultural and visual splendor of the ancient Maya, drawing on the oldest indigenous texts of the Americas and the latest archaeological discoveries to present an entirely new history of this spectacular civilization. Renowned historian and archaeologist David Stuart, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics, shows how there was no single rise and fall of the Maya but a series of births and collapses over a breathtaking span of nearly three millennia.

Maya history was seemingly lost forever when the first Europeans encountered the great ruins of ancient cities in what is today Mexico and Central America. Today, with the recent decipherment of their ancient writings, the story of the Maya can now be told from their perspective. Stuart traces the rapid emergence of permanent settlements in the rainforest, which gave rise to monumental architecture and a flourishing urbanism and ushered in the Classic period of Maya civilization beginning in the mid-second century CE. He reveals a world of majestic royal courts tightly bound together by marriages, shifting alliances, and warfare, much of it driven by the ambitions of two major dynasties, the Kanuls and Mutuls. Stuart describes how the long-standing rivalry between these two great houses shaped the fates of the surrounding kingdoms and may have set the stage for "the Great Rupture" of the ninth century, when the royal courts buckled under the weight of internal strife, social unrest, and environmental crisis, transforming Maya civilization yet again.

With stunning illustrations, including many of Stuart's own drawings and images, The Four Heavens is a work of momentous historical sweep, one that paints an unforgettable portrait of the Maya and the richly complex social, political, and cosmological worlds in which they lived.

Available in Spanish from our partners at Grupo Planeta

Book Details Format: Hardcover | Pages: 480 | Language: English | Publisher: PRINCETON UNIV PR | ISBN: 0691213844
FormatHardcover
Pages480
LanguageEnglish
ISBN0691213844
EAN9780691213842
PublisherPRINCETON UNIV PR
Publication Date1970-01-01
AccessoriesNo Accessory
ConditionNew
Product TypeHARD COVER BOOKS
Weight1.8 Pounds
Length9.4 Inches
Width6.2 Inches
Height1.6 Inches
Shipping & Returns Fast, reliable shipping and easy returns on eligible items.

Most orders ship within 1–2 business days with fast, reliable U.S. delivery.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in line with our store return policy.

Why shop with AlbakiReads

Fresh Inventory from Major Publishers

Sourced through trusted book distributors, with fresh titles added regularly.

Secure Checkout

Your payment information is encrypted and protected every step of the way.

Fast U.S. Shipping

Most orders ship within 1–2 business days.

Books for Every Kind of Reader

From page-turners to timeless classics—find your next favorite read.