The Aztec and Maya papermakers

by Victor Wolfgang von Hagen

Book by Hagen, Victor Wolfgang Von

Genres: History

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Victor Wolfgang von Hagen (February 29, 1908 - March 8, 1985) was a US-American explorer, archaeological historian, anthropologist, and travel writer who traveled the South Americas with his wife, Christine. Mainly between 1940 and 1965, he published a large number of widely acclaimed books about the ancient people of the Inca, Maya, and Aztecs.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty old and isn't the most fun to read, but the information was very useful and interesting to me. I found it to be be a tad repetitive, which made it a pain to get through, but I have to give 4 stars for content.

[Roger Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthropologist Victor Wolfgang von Hagen published The Aztec and Maya Papermakers back in 1943. While some of content is outdated and in need of a modern publication, von Hagen reveals to the reader an important but forgotten history of papermaking in Mesoamerica. The Aztec, Maya, and other cultures of Mesoamerica developed the art of making paper independently of the Old World. Paper held tremendous importance for the pre-Columbian Aztec and Maya. In Mesoamerica, paper was created by using the bark fibers of trees such as the Mulberry. They created their own techniques for papermaking including pigments, glues, and dyes. The story of papermaking and its significance to Mesoamericans is a must read for anyone interested in the ancient cultures of Mexico.

[James Ojascastro · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential monograph on the papermaking traditions of Mesoamerica, including the species used; still authoritative despite being published in 1944.