Pathways to Complexity - (Maya Studies) by M Kathryn Brown & George J Bey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Pathways to Complexity synthesizes a wealth of new archaeological data to illuminate the origins of Maya civilization and the rise of Classic Maya culture. In this volume, prominent Maya scholars argue that the development of social, religious, and economic complexity began during the Middle Preclassic period (1000-300 B.C.), hundreds of years earlier than previously thought. Contributors reveal that villages were present in parts of the lowlands by 1000 B.C., challenging the prevailing models estimating when civilization took root in the area. Combining recent discoveries from the northern lowlands-an area often neglected in other volumes-and the southern lowlands, the collection then traces the emergence of sociopolitical inequality and complexity in all parts of the Yucatan peninsula over the course of the Middle Preclassic period. They show that communities evolved in different ways due to influences such as geographical location, ceramic exchange, shell ornament production, agricultural strategy, religious ritual, ideology, and social rankings. These varied pathways to complexity developed over half a millennium and culminated in the institution of kingship by the Late Preclassic period. Presenting exciting work on a dynamic and poorly understood time period, Pathways to Complexity demonstrates the importance of a broad, comparative approach to understanding Preclassic Maya civilization and will serve as a foundation for future research and interpretation. A volume in the series Maya Studies, edited by Diane Z. Chase and Arlen F. Chase Contributors: M. Kathryn Brown George Bey III Tara Bond-Freeman Fernando Robles Castellanos Tomas Gallareta Negron E. Wyllys Andrews V Anthony Andrews David S. Anderson Lauren Sullivan Jaime J. Awe James F. Garber Mary Jane Acuña William Saturno Bobbi Hohmann Terry Powis Paul Healy Richard Hansen Donald W. Forsyth David Freidel Barbara Arroyo Richard E. W. Adams

Review Quotes

"Richly detailed. . . . Bring[s] together recent advancements in studies of the development of Maya civilization."--Antiquity

"An impressive conspectus of expertise spanning Maya fieldwork from the Valley of Guatemala to northern Yucatan."--Latin American Antiquity

"Packed with data, presented in relatively concise chapters and coming from a wide geographical range, including not just the Southern, Central, and Northern Lowlands, but also a case from the Guatemalan Highlands."--Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

About the Author

M. Kathryn Brown, Lutcher Brown Endowed Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, is coeditor of Ancient Mesoamerican Warfare.