Maya Palaces and Elite Residences: An Interdisciplinary Approach (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies)

Book Description

The volume provides insightful discussions and basic data on Maya palaces that will be devoured by Maya archaeologists in their quest to interpret, explain, and just describe the vast array of large stone buildings at Maya sites referred to generically as palaces. The papers in the volume make one think and ask more questions about power, authority, and their architectural expression in the ancient world.

— The Journal of Latin American Anthropology

"This volume will become a standard reference in the literature of Maya studies and, more broadly, Mesoamerican archaeology.... Collectively, the articles touch on a wide range of epistemological, theoretical, and historical issues that have been recently raised concerning Maya palaces."

—David Freidel, Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology, Southern Methodist University

Maya "palaces" have intrigued students of this ancient Mesoamerican culture since the early twentieth century, when scholars first applied the term "palace" to multi-room, gallery-like buildings set on low platforms in the centers of Maya cities. Who lived in these palaces? What types of ceremonial and residential activities took place there? How do the physical forms and spatial arrangement of the buildings embody Maya concepts of social organization and cosmology?

This book brings together state-of-the-art data and analysis regarding the occupants, ritual and residential uses, and social and cosmological meanings of Maya palaces and elite residences. A multidisciplinary team of senior researchers reports on sites in Belize (Blue Creek), Western Honduras (Copan), the Peten (Tikal, Dos Pilas, Aguateca), and the Yucatan (Uxmal, Chichen-Itza, Dzibilchaltun, Yaxuna). Archaeologist contributors discuss the form of palace buildings and associated artifacts, their location within the city, and how some palaces related to landscape features. Their approach is complemented by art historical analyses of architectural sculpture, epigraphy, and ethnography. Jessica Joyce Christie concludes the volume by identifying patterns and commonalties that apply not only to the cited examples, but also to Maya architecture in general.

Maya Palaces and Elite Residences: an Interdisciplinary Approach.(Book Review): An article from: Latin American Antiquity

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Maya Palaces and Elite Residences: an Interdisciplinary Approach.(Book Review): An article from: Latin American Antiquity
Christopher R. Andres
Manufacturer: Society for American Archaeology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Mayan | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Latin American Antiquity, published by Society for American Archaeology on December 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1422 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Maya Palaces and Elite Residences: an Interdisciplinary Approach.(Book Review)
Author: Christopher R. Andres
Publication: Latin American Antiquity (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2003
Publisher: Society for American Archaeology
Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Page: 502(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Tackles Well the Concerns of Wedding & Portrait Photographers.......2005-11-28

"Wedding and Studio Portrait Photography: The Professional Way" by Jonathan Hilton

Johathan Hilton has written a useful and informative book for the professional. The book is divided into two sections, one on wedding photography and the other on portrait photography. As a bonus, at the end are the portfolios of three wedding and two portrait photographers that are inspirational to view.

The wedding section follows a wedding in logical sequence, from wedding preparations to the reception. Each image here is diagramed to show the way it was taken, the lights used, and what the photographer was trying to accomplish. In short, a useful reference. The images shown here would be a good checklist for wedding photographers, to make sure nothing is missed. There are plenty of useful sidebars with Hints and Tips.

This book was written in the pre-digital age, yet surprisingly has aged very well, since it focuses on techniques that are universal to all photographers, film or digital. Modern photographers will smile at the quaint discussion of camera gear, yet another reminder to publishers not to include this information as it dates your book too quickly. Still, "Wedding and Studio Portrait Photography" should not be overlooked because of this, since outdated equipment discussions are left quickly by page 13.

The portrait section revolves around "The Four Ages" i.e., babies, youth, maturity, and old age. This section has stunning images and the same wonderful diagrams as the wedding section, to allow the reader to recreate the images.

This is a well written book that tackles well the specific concerns of wedding and portrait photographers.

Recommended.

Informative, but photos are dull.......2004-01-23

I found this book helpful because most of the photos are accompanied by an illustration that explains how the lighting was achieved. However, the photos are very outdated (circa 1980) and a bit cheesy. They didn't inspire me to go out and replicate them. A better book is Bambi Cantrell's "The Art of Wedding Photography: Professional Techniques with Style". This one is much more modern and innovative.

Book Description

Risk management is one of the most critical areas in investment and finance-especially in today's volatile trading environment. With Risk Management: Framework, Methods, and Practice you'll learn about risk management across industries through firsthand, real life war stories rather than mathematical formulas. Concise and readable, it covers both the theoretical underpinnings of risk management, as well as practical techniques for coping with financial market volatility. Focardi and Jonas give you a broad conceptual view of risk management: how far we have progressed, and the problems that remain. Using vivid analogies, this book takes you through key risk measurement issues such as fat tails and extreme events, the pros and cons of VAR, and the different ways of modeling credit risk. This book is a rarity in that it does not presuppose any knowledge of sophisticated mathematical techniques, but rather interprets these in their intuitive sense.

Book Description

Public sector pay determination is a key policy issue for many European countries in the 1990s. The essays in this book describe and analyze the procedures for determining the pay of public sector workers and compare to those in the private sector of the economy.

Book Description

The spanish edition of Parenting Your 1-4 year old. This book shows you how to discipline your young children without hitting them.

Book Description

The 70th Tank Battalion engaged in some of the bloodiest and most grueling battles of World War II.

Customer Reviews:

A great tribute and enjoyable history lesson.......2000-07-31

Marvin Jensen's "Strike Swiftly" is a great addition to any library. Jensen shows the people behind some of the great events of the Second World War. As he traces the 70th Tank Battalion from pre-WW II through the end of the war, he honors his brothers in arms, both living and dead, with solid history of events and a more solid account of the people. Inspiring and easy to read, the stories are often humorous and the reader will appreciate the fact that the U.S. Army in WW II was a citizen's army. Jensen details well small unit armor tactics and explains day to day army life. If you like military history and enjoy it from the soldiers point of view, Jensen is right on target!

A great book from the combatant's perspective........1998-04-21

Jensen's book is a collection of tales, events, and history all sewn together. It read quickly and left the reader wanting to learn more about the experiences of the men of the 70th battalion. It was told from the perspective of those who were truly involved in and affected by the war, not by some staff officer retelling the events from afar. It was warm, engaging, funny, serious, sad, and real. A Great book!

Personal comments of participants make this a must-read........1997-11-25

Strategists and historians, writing about World War II, D-Day, the landings at Normandy, and the battles to liberate Europe would do well to read Mr. Jensen's compelling book about the role of the 70th Tank Battalion. As an historian, he has a fine sense of history. As a participant, a fine memory. His account is made vivid and immediate by the accounts of the men themselves, who were responsible for the allied victories. I doubt if you will read better descriptions of the citizen army, trained for the landing, but for little else the men were to encounter on land, than the narratives of these ordinary men from an extraordinary battalion. We have read this book and highly recommend it. Natalie & Norman Friend

Great for children of WWII soldiers!.......1997-10-07

I am biased, being Marvin's son. However, not only did I gain a great understanding of what happened to the ordinary soldier during the war, but I found a gap filled in the history books. Most of the time, 'history' books are told from the point of view of national strategy and of the leaders thereof. Although important, they do not tell the true human story. I've loaned this book to a number of friends of my generation, and all of them returned it with glowing praise. They say they finally understood what dad (or uncle or...) went through during the war and had a new-found appreciation of that involvement. Recommended.

Not just another tank outfit........1997-09-07

The 70th Tank Battalion was an elite unit from the start. Created in 1940 as the first independent tank battalion in the U.S. Army, it was relied on for the critical jobs in eight campaigns.
The 70th was selected by Patton for North Africa (where A Company was attached to the French Forces), fought in Sicily, and went ashore with the 4th Division on 6 June 1944. Their subsequent Normandy efforts won their first Presidential Unit Citation..
They continued through the Siegfried Line and the incredibly tough Huertgen Forest, fought in Korea and in the Gulf War, and today is the most decorated armor unit in the United States.
Their story is very well told here, with particular attention to the war as fought by the tankers themselves; the heart of the story.
Readers who wish to follow the developments of the campaigns will need to furnish their own maps, but this failing doesn't detract seriously from this valuable record of one of the most remarkable units of World War II.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting witnin Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

STRIKE SWIFTLY! The 70th Tank Battalion. From North Africa to Normandy and Germany.

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STRIKE SWIFTLY! The 70th Tank Battalion. From North Africa to Normandy and Germany.
Marvin: Jensen
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWXPIO

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Another argument against sequels

Fun History

history can be fun

Jumbo's Hide, Elvis's Ride, and the Tooth of Buddha: More Marvelous Tales of Historical Artifacts
Harvey Rachlin
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Curiosities & Wonders | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones & Einstein's Brain: The Remarkable Stories Behind the Great Objects and Artifacts of History, from Antiquity to the Modern Era

Scandals, Vandals, and da Vincis: A Gallery of Remarkable Art Tales

ASIN: 080505684X

Book Description

Following on his acclaimed Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein's Brain, the insatiably curious Harvey Rachlin tells the fascinating and often hilarious tales of forty more historical artifacts, ranging from the obscure to the majestic. Each of these objects is a tangible piece of history with its own story to tell, a story that opens a window to the past, giving us a glimpse into the time from which it came and the people whose lives it affected. After three blockbuster specials in 1998, History's Lost and Found, based on Rachlin's writing, premiered on the History Channel as a weekly prime-time show in October 1999 and immediately took off. The show is scheduled to air daily in October 2000. Whether tracing the path of the four existing original copies of the Magna Carta or recounting the mad police search to recover Marilyn Monroe's white dress from The Seven Year Itch, Rachlin presents a wonderfully diverse range of tales of historical artifacts.

Customer Reviews:

Another argument against sequels.......2001-12-12

Rachlin has again compiled a wonderful hodgepodge of historical trivia and lost artifacts. Those of you who read his first book (Lucy's Bones. . . ) will find, however, that his approach to the collection has changed. In Jumbo's Hide, Rachlin has included much more side information and background on the objects instead of sticking to what is promised: what happened to the artifcats, who possesed them, and where are they now. This book reads more like a historical textbook than the collection of mysteries that it is. In fact, Rachlin sometimes adds the actual ownership history of the artifact as a footnote to the story.
If you are just an amateur historian, this collection is interesting. However, if you already know your world history, you will find this book much more tedious to read than his first.

Fun History.......2001-07-27

I couldn't put this book down. If you are a history buff like me this is like brain candy. Nothing too in depth but a fun read.

history can be fun.......2000-06-22

Ever wonder what happened to the gun Mark David Chapman used to kill John Lennon? Or the maltese falcon prop from the movie? What about the original Magna Carta? Well, all your questions are answered in this wonderful follow-up to "Lucy's Bones & Sacred Stones." This book like the previous one has me wanting to visit the worlds museums to get a glimse of these amazing artifacts from our history. What about the chair George Washington sat in at the Constitutional Convention? Or slices of Tom Thumb's wedding cake? Highly recommended for a fun and easy read.

Jumbo's Hide, Elvis's Ride, and the Tooth of Buddha; More Marvelous Tales of Historical Artifacts

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Jumbo's Hide, Elvis's Ride, and the Tooth of Buddha; More Marvelous Tales of Historical Artifacts
Harvey Rachlin
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000X6F7C2

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