Richard E. W. Adams

"Deep within the forest in northern Guatemala lie the ruins of Rio Azul, a Maya city that reached one-third the size of Tikal. Discovered and partially explored in the early 1960s, Rio Azul and the surrounding region were more fully investigated between 1983 and 1987 by an archaeological team led by Richard E. W. Adams. In this summary, Adams integrates the findings of field archaeologists with those of the epigraphers and art historians to recreate the life of this Maya city from the little-known Early Classic period."--BOOK JACKET.

In this concise, yet sweeping look at the origins and development of ancient New World civilizations, Richard Adams provides a superb introductory overview of these unique and fascinating cultures. Incorporating the latest breakthroughs in the study of the cultures of Mesoamerica and the Andes, Adams examines the development of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca peoples, among others, from simple agricultural societies to urban civilizations with complex transportation networks, distinct social hierarchies, rich artistic and religious traditions, and writing systems that have defied anthropological investigation until recently. The question of why these thriving cultures collapsed so suddenly when faced with the European conquest is explored, as are comparisons with ancient Old World civilizations of the Middle East and Asia.

"William Ferguson's classic photographic portrayal of the major pre-Columbian ruins of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras is now available in a completely revised edition. Aerial and ground photographs give both armchair and actual visitors unparalleled views of fifty-one ancient cites. The restored areas of each site and their interesting and exotic features are shown within each group of ruins. The authors have thoroughly revised the text for this new edition, and they have added over thirty new photographs and illustrations as well as a completely new chapter by Richard E. W. Adams on regional states and empires in ancient Mesoamerica."--BOOK JACKET.

"This book is a synthesis of archaeological findings from Mexico and Guatemala and an interpretation of them." -- from the preface.