Lost Maya Cities

Author : Ivan Sprajc
Publisher : Texas A&M University Press
Page : 404 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2020-04-30
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781623498221

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Lost Maya Cities by Ivan Sprajc Pdf

Hailed by The Guardian and other publications as “a real-life Indiana Jones,” Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Šprajc has been mapping out previously unknown Mayan sites in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula since 1996. Most recently, he was credited with the discovery of the Chactún and Lagunita sites in 2013 and 2014, respectively, helping to fill in what was previously one of the largest voids in modern knowledge of the ancient Maya landscape: the 2,800-square-mile Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in central Yucatán. Previously published in Šprajc’s native Slovenian and in German, this thrilling account of machete-wielding jungle expeditions has garnered enthusiastic reviews for its depictions of the efforts, dangers, successes, and disappointments experienced as the explorer-scientist searches out and documents ancient ruins that have been lost to the jungle for centuries. A skilled communicator as well as an experienced scholar, Šprajc conveys in eminently accessible prose a wealth of information on various aspects of the Maya culture, which he has studied closely for decades. The result is a deeply personal presentation of archaeological research on one of the most enigmatic civilizations of the ancient world. Generously illustrated, this book follows the chronology of Šprajc’s discoveries, focusing on what he considers the most interesting episodes. Those who specialize in Mesoamerican prehistory and archaeology will certainly relish Šprajc’s reports concerning his many field surveys and the discoveries that resulted. General readers, too, will enjoy his accounts of previously undocumented sites, ancient urban centers overtaken by the jungle, massive sculpted monuments, and mysterious hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Author : Ivan Sprajc
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 162349821X

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Lost Maya Cities by Ivan Sprajc Pdf

Hailed by The Guardian and other publications as "a real-life Indiana Jones," Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Sprajc has been mapping out previously unknown Mayan sites in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula since 1996. Most recently, he was credited with the discovery of the Chactún and Lagunita sites in 2013 and 2014, respectively, helping to fill in what was previously one of the largest voids in modern knowledge of the ancient Maya landscape: the 2,800-square-mile Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in central Yucatán. Previously published in Sprajc's native Slovenian and in German, this thrilling account of machete-wielding jungle expeditions has garnered enthusiastic reviews for its depictions of the efforts, dangers, successes, and disappointments experienced as the explorer-scientist searches out and documents ancient ruins that have been lost to the jungle for centuries. A skilled communicator as well as an experienced scholar, Sprajc conveys in eminently accessible prose a wealth of information on various aspects of the Maya culture, which he has studied closely for decades. The result is a deeply personal presentation of archaeological research on one of the most enigmatic civilizations of the ancient world. Generously illustrated, this book follows the chronology of Sprajc's discoveries, focusing on what he considers the most interesting episodes. Those who specialize in Mesoamerican prehistory and archaeology will certainly relish Sprajc's reports concerning his many field surveys and the discoveries that resulted. General readers, too, will enjoy his accounts of previously undocumented sites, ancient urban centers overtaken by the jungle, massive sculpted monuments, and mysterious hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Author : Fabio Boubon
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1999-01-01
Category : Artists
ISBN : 8854401285

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The Lost Cities of the Mayas by Fabio Boubon Pdf

Through pen-and ink drawings and watercolours, this book recount the 19th century epic of the art of illustration and the rediscovery of history's great Maya civilization. Frederick Catherwood produced artwork-depicting views of ancient monuments with great accuracy. Although he was trained as an architect, his real passion in life was art, particularly portraying ancient cultures. He was a man who loved to travel which was a significant influence on his art. At the age of 40, Catherwood accompanied a successful writer named John Lloyd Stephens to Central America. What they found on their trip amazed them: wonderfully majestic but deserted cities. The ruins in these cities were the inspiration of Catherwood's art, created by using a camera lucida (an optic device that preceded the invention of photography) to aid him in his drawings. The artwork that Catherwood produced was vivid and intriguing and became a best seller. Central America was not the only place that Catherwood went to get inspiration for his artwork. Before devoting himself to the discovery of the Mayas, he disguised himself as a.

Author : David Drew
Publisher : Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2015-11-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9781474603300

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The Lost Chronicles Of The Maya Kings by David Drew Pdf

A fascinating history of the Maya - drawing on a wealth of recent archaeological discoveries - whose civilisation in the jungles of Central America was for almost a thousand years hidden from the world. Over the last two centuries explorers have made the most remarkable discoveries in the tropical forests of Central America. Across much of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras dozens of cities - some with populations of well over 100,000 - have been unveiled, and every year fresh reports emerge of the findings of unknown Maya ruins - great temples, palaces, towering stone pyramids and the tombs of the Maya kings. What these spectacular discoveries indicate is the former presence of an exceptionally advanced, sophisticated and complex society. Recently, major developments made in the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics have revealed that alongside the material achievements of the Maya ran intellectual accomplishments in astronomy, maths and calendrics, seemingly tied to the complexities of Maya religion, that were remarkable for a society technically in the Stone Age. From reliefs on temple walls, from magnificent hieroglyphic stairways and from stone stelae planted by Maya rulers in the plazas of their cities, has come written history: the Chronicles of the Maya Kings. David Drew looks at why they constructed their cities in the hostile setting of the jungle, the exact age of their ruins, the strange human images depicted in elaborate costume at so many Maya sites, and he asks why at the time of the Spanish conquest, all knowledge of the Mayas had been lost.

Author : Claude F. Baudez,Sydney Picasso
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 175 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 1992
Category : Central America
ISBN : 0500300097

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Lost Cities of the Maya by Claude F. Baudez,Sydney Picasso Pdf

From the NEW HORIZONS series of pocket-sized information books, a look at the ancient Mayan cities, their civilisation and the lives of their inhabitants. With foldouts and double-page spreads.

Author : Rhandel Lopez
Publisher : DTTV PUBLICATIONS
Page : 138 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2024-06-16
Category : History
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Lost Cities of the Mayan Empire by Rhandel Lopez Pdf

Chichén Itzá Although many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century, like the Greeks and the Romans, none have intrigued people like the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance continue to captivate people today. Chichén Itzá, the most visited and most spectacular of the Late Classic Maya cities, is at the center of the fascination. In the later years of Maya civilization, Chichen Itzá had been inhabited for hundreds of years. In developing columns and exterior relief decoration, Chichén Itzá probably had over 30,000 residents at its peak, with a spectacular pyramid, enormous ball court, observatory, and several temples to boast. The sacred cenote at Chichén Itzá, a sinkhole used for Maya rituals surrounding water, is of particular interest. The Maya regarded it as a primary concern because adequate water was rarely found on the limestone-based Yucatan surface. The underwater archeology conducted in the cenote at Chichén Itzá found that offerings (including people, possibly) were thrown into the sinkhole in honor of the Maya rain deity Chaac. Despite its long history, Chichén Itzá had a relatively short period where it dominated the region, lasting from 800-950 CE. Nowadays, guides take tourists to one of the temples called the Nunnery for no good reason other than that the small rooms remind them of a nunnery back home.

Author : Douglas Preston
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2017-01-03
Category : History
ISBN : 9781455540020

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The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston Pdf

NAMED A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2017#1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller! A five-hundred-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world's densest jungle. Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location. Three quarters of a century later, bestselling author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization. Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn't until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease. Suspenseful and shocking, filled with colorful history, hair-raising adventure, and dramatic twists of fortune, THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century.

Author : Victor Wolfgang Von Hagen
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 1947
Category : Electronic
ISBN : OCLC:1408422044

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Maya Explorer by Victor Wolfgang Von Hagen Pdf

Author : Jared Diamond
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 608 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2013-03-21
Category : History
ISBN : 9780141976969

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Collapse by Jared Diamond Pdf

From the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive is a visionary study of the mysterious downfall of past civilizations. Now in a revised edition with a new afterword, Jared Diamond's Collapse uncovers the secret behind why some societies flourish, while others founder - and what this means for our future. What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way, our skyscrapers one day standing derelict and overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat? Bringing together new evidence from a startling range of sources and piecing together the myriad influences, from climate to culture, that make societies self-destruct, Jared Diamond's Collapse also shows how - unlike our ancestors - we can benefit from our knowledge of the past and learn to be survivors. 'A grand sweep from a master storyteller of the human race' - Daily Mail 'Riveting, superb, terrifying' - Observer 'Gripping ... the book fulfils its huge ambition, and Diamond is the only man who could have written it' - Economis 'This book shines like all Diamond's work' - Sunday Times

Author : Claude F. Baudez,Sydney Picasso
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 188 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 1992-03-30
Category : History
ISBN : UTEXAS:059173007411008

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Discoveries: Lost Cities of the Maya by Claude F. Baudez,Sydney Picasso Pdf

Culled from a variety of sources, the rare photographs, documents, paintings, and drawings in this history of America's famous pyramid builders answers some of the most puzzling questions about the Mayan civilization.

Author : LEARN ALCHEMICAL
Publisher : DTTV PUBLICATIONS
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2024-06-16
Category : History
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Lost Cities and Ancient Temples of Mesoamerica by LEARN ALCHEMICAL Pdf

The Mayan civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization founded by the Maya peoples. It was noted for its hieroglyphic script—the only known fully developed writing system of the pre-Columbian Americas—and its art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical design. Since the 1990s, what were once considered mysterious ruins in Mexico have been reconstructed by Archaeologist Winslow Bradford. The complex structures were made of lime-plastered mud bricks with an internal wood framework supporting heavy loads and a stone foundation below. Mayan temples were a place for playing games, holding feasts, and rituals involving human sacrifice. The Maya people-built pyramids as places to worship their gods. These pyramids usually had several smaller temples on top to honor their gods. Worshippers would climb the steep steps up to the temple at the top of the pyramid to leave gifts and pray. Some pyramids also had "sacred stairways" or ramps leading up to them. You might be interested to learn that the Mayan civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization established by the Maya peoples and renowned for its hieroglyphic script—the only known fully developed language system of the pre-Columbian Americas—as well as for its architectural design, engineering, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical design. Mayans were a Mesoamerican civilization living in what is now Guatemala, Honduras, and parts of Mexico. They are believed to have had some contact with the Olmecs who preceded them in Mexico. Their culture ultimately became more complex than other nearby civilizations such as Teotihuacan (in today's Mexico City), Zapotec (in today's Oaxaca), or Tula (in today's Hidalgo). The rise and fall of these three kingdoms left behind massive monuments still standing today that had survived centuries without being covered by new civilizations coming in on top of them. Like happened at many other sites around Mexico & Central America, where older buildings were simply built over when newer ones came along later on top of them...

Author : William Carlsen
Publisher : HarperCollins
Page : 544 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2016-04-26
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780062407429

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Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen Pdf

The acclaimed chronicle of the discovery of the legendary lost civilization of the Maya. Includes the history of the major Maya sites, including Palenque, Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Tuloom, Copan, and more. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Illustrated with a map and more than 100 images. In 1839, rumors of extraordinary yet baffling stone ruins buried within the unmapped jungles of Central America reached two of the world’s most intrepid travelers. Seized by the reports, American diplomat John Lloyd Stephens and British artist Frederick Catherwood—both already celebrated for their adventures in Egypt, the Holy Land, Greece, and Rome—sailed together out of New York Harbor on an expedition into the forbidding rainforests of present-day Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. What they found would upend the West’s understanding of human history. In the tradition of Lost City of Z and In the Kingdom of Ice, former San Francisco Chronicle journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist William Carlsen reveals the remarkable story of the discovery of the ancient Maya. Enduring disease, war, and the torments of nature and terrain, Stephens and Catherwood meticulously uncovered and documented the remains of an astonishing civilization that had flourished in the Americas at the same time as classic Greece and Rome—and had been its rival in art, architecture, and power. Their masterful book about the experience, written by Stephens and illustrated by Catherwood, became a sensation, hailed by Edgar Allan Poe as “perhaps the most interesting book of travel ever published” and recognized today as the birth of American archaeology. Most important, Stephens and Catherwood were the first to grasp the significance of the Maya remains, understanding that their antiquity and sophistication overturned the West’s assumptions about the development of civilization. By the time of the flowering of classical Greece (400 b.c.), the Maya were already constructing pyramids and temples around central plazas. Within a few hundred years the structures took on a monumental scale that required millions of man-hours of labor, and technical and organizational expertise. Over the next millennium, dozens of city-states evolved, each governed by powerful lords, some with populations larger than any city in Europe at the time, and connected by road-like causeways of crushed stone. The Maya developed a cohesive, unified cosmology, an array of common gods, a creation story, and a shared artistic and architectural vision. They created stucco and stone monuments and bas reliefs, sculpting figures and hieroglyphs with refined artistic skill. At their peak, an estimated ten million people occupied the Maya’s heartland on the Yucatan Peninsula, a region where only half a million now live. And yet by the time the Spanish reached the “New World,” the Maya had all but disappeared; they would remain a mystery for the next three hundred years. Today, the tables are turned: the Maya are justly famous, if sometimes misunderstood, while Stephens and Catherwood have been nearly forgotten. Based on Carlsen’s rigorous research and his own 1,500-mile journey throughout the Yucatan and Central America, Jungle of Stone is equally a thrilling adventure narrative and a revelatory work of history that corrects our understanding of Stephens, Catherwood, and the Maya themselves.

Author : George Bay
Publisher : George Bay
Page : 77 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2024-06-16
Category : History
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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The Maya: A Civilization Lost to the Ages by George Bay Pdf

The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in Central America and southern Mexico from around 2000 BC to the 16th century AD. The Maya were one of the most advanced ancient civilizations in the Americas, and their culture has had a lasting impact on modern-day Mexico and Central America. Deep within the lush rainforests of Central America, a remarkable civilization flourished in splendid isolation for centuries. Known as the Maya, these enigmatic people built towering cities, created stunning works of art, and developed a sophisticated understanding of the cosmos. Yet, despite their incredible achievements, the Maya vanished from the stage of history, leaving behind a profound mystery that has captivated the minds of explorers, scholars, and enthusiasts alike. "The Maya: A Civilization Lost to the Ages" invites you on a mesmerizing journey through time, delving into the rich tapestry of this enigmatic society. From the majestic pyramids of Tikal to the intricate hieroglyphics adorning ancient temples, we will unravel the captivating story of a civilization that once thrived and then vanished into obscurity. The Maya are known for their impressive architecture, including monumental stone structures such as pyramids, temples, palaces, and observatories. They were also skilled astronomers who developed an advanced calendar system based on celestial observations. The Maya also developed a complex writing system that was used to record important events and communicate with other Mesoamerican cultures. The Maya had an agricultural economy based on maize (corn), beans, squash, sweet potatoes, chilies, and other crops grown in terraced fields or raised beds called chinampas. They also hunted wild game such as deer or turkey for food or traded goods with other cultures for items like jade or obsidian artifacts. In this book, we will delve into the world of the Maya, examining their intricate societal structure, complex religious beliefs, and remarkable intellectual achievements. We will explore the heights of their architectural prowess, the depths of their mathematical and astronomical knowledge, and the profound impact of their artistic expressions. Through vivid descriptions and compelling narratives, we will unveil the hidden treasures and astonishing discoveries that shed light on the mysterious fate of this extraordinary civilization. Drawing upon the latest archaeological findings, deciphered glyphs, and insights from experts in the field, "The Maya: A Civilization Lost to the Ages" serves as both a comprehensive introduction and an immersive exploration of this remarkable culture. Whether you are a history enthusiast, an intrepid explorer, or simply intrigued by the enigmas of the past, this book promises to transport you to a world shrouded in mystery, where ancient ruins whisper tales of a civilization that vanished, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and awe. So, join us on this remarkable expedition through time as we unravel the secrets of the Maya—a civilization lost to the ages. Prepare to be enthralled, enlightened, and forever changed by the grandeur and the enigma that is the Maya.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Vendome Press
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2012-11-01
Category : History
ISBN : 0865652848

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Royal Cities of the Ancient Maya by Anonim Pdf

Traces the rise and fall of Maya civilization through its great royal cities, from El Mirador, the largest and oldest, to the rival city-states of the Classical period such as Tikal, Calakmul, Yaxchilán, Palenque, Toniná, and Copán. He then moves on to the great cities of the Terminal Classic period; at a time when the mighty centers of the southern lowlands were in a steep decline, cities to the north such as Uxmal and Kabah achieved a pinnacle of architectural beauty. After that he turns to the Postclassic period and Chichén Itzá in central Yucatán, a huge, cosmopolitan city that flourished during a military and cultural takeover by the Toltecs of central Mexico.

Author : Gene S. Stuart,George E. Stuart
Publisher : American Society of Civil Engineers
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 1993
Category : Central America
ISBN : IND:30000027974595

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Lost Kingdoms of the Maya by Gene S. Stuart,George E. Stuart Pdf

Splendid color photos overshadow the text. No references. No index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR