What do you think?
Rate this book
A Guide to Ancient Maya Ruins.
Since the publication of the first edition of this work, it has become the standard guide for serious travelers to the great Maya sites of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In this expanded and updated edition C. Bruce Hunter offers an introduction to the culture and history of the Maya, taking into account the most recent discoveries and theories about their origins, rise to greatness, and fall. He then takes the reader on a tour through their magnificent cities and ceremonial centers.
Each site is presented in the light of current excavations and restorations and illuminated by stunning photographs and detailed site maps. Important centers that have recently become accessible by modern transportation have been added to this edition. Appended are helpful suggestions for reaching the sites, tours, weather and clothing tips, and a list of selected readings.
The twenty-four sites
El Baul, Iximche, Kaminaljuyu, Las Ilusiones, Mixco Viejo, Monte Alto, Quirigua, Seibal, Tikal, and Zaculeu.
Copan
Bonampak, Coba, Chichen Itza, Cozumel, Edzna, Kabah, Labna, Palenque, Sayil, Tulum, Uxmal, Xlapak, and Yaxchilan.
Throughout the guide the author shares his wealth of experience over thirty years spent leading field-study trips for the American Museum of Natural History, and his special aesthetic vision of this most remarkable of the ancient civilizations of the Americas. Critics have called this guide "among the few books the curious traveler should take along to the field," and the thousands of copies sold attest to its enduring usefulness.
Each site is presented in the light of current excavations and restorations and illuminated by stunning photographs and detailed site maps. Important centers that have recently become accessible by modern transportation have been added to this edition. Appended are helpful suggestions for reaching the sites, tours, weather and clothing tips, and a list of selected readings.
The twenty-four sites
El Baul, Iximche, Kaminaljuyu, Las Ilusiones, Mixco Viejo, Monte Alto, Quirigua, Seibal, Tikal, and Zaculeu.
Copan
Bonampak, Coba, Chichen Itza, Cozumel, Edzna, Kabah, Labna, Palenque, Sayil, Tulum, Uxmal, Xlapak, and Yaxchilan.
Throughout the guide the author shares his wealth of experience over thirty years spent leading field-study trips for the American Museum of Natural History, and his special aesthetic vision of this most remarkable of the ancient civilizations of the Americas. Critics have called this guide "among the few books the curious traveler should take along to the field," and the thousands of copies sold attest to its enduring usefulness.
- GenresHistoryNonfictionTravel
332 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 7, 2026
A Guide to Ancient Maya Ruins is a book by C. Bruce Hunter. I picked it up expecting a work focused on archaeology. I did not anticipate the travelogue aspect. Hunter wrote this book in 1974, perhaps at a time when archaeological sites were less guarded.
The book offers advice on finding locations and sites. It shows maps and plenty of pictures of the ruins and so on. I suppose I assumed that tourists wouldn't be allowed at an archaeological dig. Hunter gives histories of the Maya people and how they came to those conclusions. There is a lot of history packed in this volume.
I found this book at an Indie bookstore in Wisconsin. I think it was the large one in Viroqua.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
The book offers advice on finding locations and sites. It shows maps and plenty of pictures of the ruins and so on. I suppose I assumed that tourists wouldn't be allowed at an archaeological dig. Hunter gives histories of the Maya people and how they came to those conclusions. There is a lot of history packed in this volume.
I found this book at an Indie bookstore in Wisconsin. I think it was the large one in Viroqua.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review