Breaking the Maya Code

Coe, Michael D.

ISBN 10: 0500281335 / ISBN 13: 9780500281338

Published by Thames & Hudson (edition Revised), 1999

About this Item

The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way.

Seller Inventory # 0500281335-7-1-13

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Breaking the Maya Code
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (edition Revised)
• Publication Date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0500281335
• ISBN 13: 9780500281338
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: Revised.
• Condition: Fair

About this title

Synopsis

Michael Coe's classic inside story of one of the major intellectual breakthroughs of our time―the last great decoding of an ancient script―has been updated throughout and now includes an epilogue that brings the reader up to date in the fast-changing field of Maya decipherment.

Among the more exciting advances to be described are: the discovery of the specific Maya language and sophisticated grammar used by the ancient scribes on stone monuments and painted vases;  archaeological explorations of tombs and buildings of the ancient founders of the great city of Copan, whose very existence had been predicted by epigraphers through glyphic decipherment; the realization that many small city-states were dominated by two rival giants, Tikal and Calakmul, through a potent combination of military conquest, diplomacy, and royal marriages.

About the Author

Michael D. Coe (1929– 2019) was Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Yale University and Curator Emeritus for the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. His books include The Maya, Mexico, and Breaking the Maya Code.