Secrets of the Maya

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, Feb-March, 2003

By Archaeology Magazine Foreword by Peter A. Young Publication date: January 2003 Published by Hatherleigh Press $25.95 ISBN: 1-57826-123-6

From the editors of Archaeology Magazine, this book, despite its slightly dubious title, is a wonderful insight into archaeology for those of us who are not experts, but do want to know what we are looking at during vacations to Mexico and Central America. Secrets of the Maya dispels the utopian view of Maya society as a model one led by gentle priest-kings, kingdoms devoted to prayer, and temple building. Instead it pieces together a fresh picture of the very readable rise and fall of a complex civilization led by egomaniacal rulers.

Maps, timelines, and photographs accompany the text, making the enormous advances in this field over the last few years accessible to readers. The short chapters recreate the lives of the Maya, the hierarchy between superstates, and the political landscapes of these powerful kingdoms.

The book avoids academic overload by unraveling mysteries, such as who may have been the female occupant of the richest tomb ever found in Copan, Honduras, and revealing names of kings, including 18-Rabbit and Smoke King, derived from a recent understanding of Maya inscriptions.

Today, Maya ruins attract throngs of tourists, and roads me being opened to previously inaccessible sites. New discoveries are being made almost daily, and with each new revelation, people around the world are enthralled by the majesty, spirituality, and art of this ancient civilization--I am sure you will agree.