Cites Maya

194 pages with maps, figures, drawings, plates (some in color) Folio (12 1/2" x 8 3/4") bound in original publisher's beige cloth with red lettering to spine and cover in original pictorial jacket. First edition limited to 1000 copies. Maya cities were the centers of population of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. They served the specialized roles of administration, commerce, manufacturing and religion that characterized ancient cities worldwide. Maya cities tended to be more dispersed than cities in other societies, even within Mesoamerica, as a result of adaptation to a lowland tropical environment that allowed food production amidst areas dedicated to other activities. They lacked the grid plans of the highland cities of central Mexico, such as Teotihuacán and Tenochtitlan. Maya kings ruled their kingdoms from palaces that were situated within the center of their cities. Cities tended to be located in places that controlled trade routes or that could supply essential products. This allowed the elites that controlled trade to increase their wealth and status. Such cities were able to construct temples for public ceremonies, thus attracting further inhabitants to the city. Those cities that had favourable conditions for food production, combined with access to trade routes were likely to develop into the capital cities of early Maya states. Condition: Previous owner's name on front end paper, corners gently bumped. Jacket spine ends and corners chipped, closed edge tears else a very good copy in like jacket.…