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Everyday Life
Everyday Life of the Maya
The Maya are a mysterious people.
They lived, and indeed still live, in the jungles of Central America. They evolved a magnificent civilization which flourished from A.D. 400 to 1000, built temples and pyramids, created inspiring works of art and were uncannily accurate astronomers. Yet by the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the sixteenth century their civilization was already almost extinguished.
In this fascinating book Ralph Whitlock recreates the everyday life of the Maya people at the height of their glory: their daily routine, their clothes, their food, their colorful ceremonies and their bloodthirsty human sacrifices. He describes their social hierarchy and their beliefs, their literature and their science. He also traces the history of the Mayan city-states, and postulates some possible reasons for their decline.
Ralph Whitlock, writer and broadcaster, knows the Maya territory well and has explored many of their jungle ruins. With its wealth of beautiful illustrations his book provides a sound and delightful introduction to this intriguing people.
They lived, and indeed still live, in the jungles of Central America. They evolved a magnificent civilization which flourished from A.D. 400 to 1000, built temples and pyramids, created inspiring works of art and were uncannily accurate astronomers. Yet by the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the sixteenth century their civilization was already almost extinguished.
In this fascinating book Ralph Whitlock recreates the everyday life of the Maya people at the height of their glory: their daily routine, their clothes, their food, their colorful ceremonies and their bloodthirsty human sacrifices. He describes their social hierarchy and their beliefs, their literature and their science. He also traces the history of the Mayan city-states, and postulates some possible reasons for their decline.
Ralph Whitlock, writer and broadcaster, knows the Maya territory well and has explored many of their jungle ruins. With its wealth of beautiful illustrations his book provides a sound and delightful introduction to this intriguing people.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
175 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1987
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 21, 2025
Pretty good intro to this topic! Engaging but modest enough to remind the reader that more sites remained untouched than not and there were way more discoveries being made and to be made at the time of writing. And it was published in 1976, so I’m now pretty curious to find out how far we’ve gotten since this.
January 14, 2025
Outdated, sure, but a good introduction for anyone that is not too familiar with the Mayan civilization. Combines a general historical overview with glimpses into their daily life, across social classes and regions. Overall an enjoyable read - concise but packed with information.
February 2, 2020
Skimmed it for some basic information on Mayan agriculture and architecture. Skipped the sections on gods and politics.
February 16, 2009
I read this in the sixth grade. It was pretty good for a glimpse into that world though I'm sure there must be more current info on the Maya now. I'd like to look into that sometime.
November 21, 2010
It's really out of date and poorly-written. He calls the Maya a "primitive people." I wonder if he says the same thing about the Ancient Greeks? But there is some good information.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews