Kaminaljuyu Chiefdom:: Abridged Edition
Oct 2016 · iUniverse
Ebook
208
Pages
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
This abridged edition of the 1979 work entitled The Kaminaljuyu Chiefdom is intended to provide a readable portrait of the ancient Maya of this highland Guatemalan archaeological site. Most of the original books methodological and technical sections have been left out so that the reader can more easily focus on the main theme of the work, namely how a society adapts to changing conditions over millennia while retaining organizational continuity. Kaminaljuyu first appears in the archaeological record as a small nucleated village located near a small lake but, over time, grew into a major ceremonial and political center that played an important role in the regional and transregional economies of the time. Unsettled conditions challenged the political fabric of the center, necessitating organizational and societal adjustments. Monumental architecturetemples, tombs, shrines, ball courts, homes for the nobilitylay concealed under hundreds of earthen mounds and signal the presence of eleven archaeologically recognizable phases. The archaeological remains of the site of Kaminaljuyu have, over the years, been profoundly affected by the ceaseless expansion of Guatemala City, making research at the site enormously difficult. Mounting a large-scale, systematic investigation of the kind undertaken by the Penn State University Kaminaljuyu Projectthe project that provided much of the underlying empirical evidence for the ideas developed hereis sadly no longer possible. Nevertheless, archaeologists continue to study what remains of the site, owing to its importance to Mesoamerican prehistory.
About the author
Joseph W. Michels, emeritus professor of anthropology, codirected the Penn State University Kaminaljuyu archaeological project that ran from 1968 through 1971. Subsequently, he served as coeditor of the Penn State University Press monograph series on Kaminaljuyu. Prof. Michels has earned international recognition for his research on emergent complex societies, including (in addition to the ancient Maya) the Aksumite civilization of Ethiopia and the Nuragic civilization of Sardinia.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
