xviii, 676 pages : 23 cm

"The Terminal Classic in the Maya Lowlands revisits one of the great problems in Maya archaeology-the apparent collapse of Classic Maya civilization from roughly A.D. 830 to 950. During this period the Maya abandoned their power centers in the southern lowlands and rather abruptly ceased the distinctive cultural practices that marked their apogee in the Classic period. Archaeological fieldwork during the past three decades, however, has uncovered enormous regional variability in the ways the Maya experienced the shift from Classic to Postclassic society, revealing a period of cultural change more complex than acknowledged by traditional models." "Featuring an impressive roster of scholars, The Terminal Classic in the Maya Lowlands presents the most recent data and interpretations pertaining to this perplexing period of cultural transformation in the Maya lowlands. Although the research reveals clear interregional patterns, the contributors resist a single overarching explanation. Rather, this volume's diverse and nuanced interpretations provide a new, more properly grounded beginning for continued debate on the nature of lowland Terminal Classic Maya civilization. Book jacket."--Jacket

Includes bibliographical references (pages 573-652) and index

1. The Terminal Classic and the "Classic Maya Collapse" in Perspective / Prudence M. Rice, Arthur A. Demarest and Don S. Rice -- 2. Hermeneutics, Transitions, and Transformations in Classic to Postclassic Maya Society / Diane Z. Chase and Arlen F. Chase -- 3. Terminal Classic-Period Lowland Ceramics / Prudence M. Rice and Donald Forsyth -- 4. The Last Hurrah: Continuity and Transformation at Seibal / Gair Tourtellot and Jason J. Gonzalez -- 5. Settlement and Late Classic Political Disintegration in the Petexbatun Region, Guatemala / Matt O'Mansky and Nicholas P. Dunning -- 6. After the Maelstrom: Collapse of the Classic Maya Kingdoms and the Terminal Classic in Western Peten / Arthur A. Demarest -- 7. Late Classic to Postclassic Transformations in the Peten Lakes Region, Guatemala / Prudence M. Rice and Don S. Rice -- 8. Disaster in Sight: The Terminal Classic at Tikal and Uaxactun / Juan Antonio Valdes and Federico Fahsen -- 9. Defining the Terminal Classic at Calakmul, Campeche / Geoffrey E. Braswell, Joel D. Gunn, Maria del Rosario, Dominguez Carrasco, William J. Folan, Laraine A. Fletcher, Abel Morales Lopez and Michael D. Glascock -- 10. Terminal Classic Settlement and Polity in the Mopan Valley, Peten, Guatemala / Juan Pedro Laporte -- 11. Dating Copan Culture-History: Implications for the Terminal Classic and the Collapse / David Webster, AnnCorinne Freter and Rebecca Storey -- 12. Political Decentralization, Dynastic Collapse, and the Early Postclassic in the Urban Center of Copan, Honduras / William L. Fash, E. Wyllys Andrews and T. Kam Manahan -- 13. Out with a Whimper: La Milpa in the Terminal Classic / Norman Hammond and Gair Tourtellot -- 14. Commoner Sense: Late and Terminal Classic Social Strategies in the Xunantunich Area / Wendy Ashmore, Jason Yaeger and Cynthia Robin -- 15. Transformations, Periodicity, and Urban Development in the Three Rivers Region / R.E.W. Adams, H.R. Robichaux, Fred Valdez Jr., Brett A. Houk and Ruth Mathews -- 16. Terminal Classic Status-Linked Ceramics and the Maya "Collapse": De Facto Refuse at Caracol, Belize / Arlen F. Chase and Diane Z. Chase -- 17. Ceramics and Settlement Patterns at Terminal Classic-Period Lagoon Sites in Northeastern Belize / Marilyn A. Masson and Shirley Boteler Mock -- 18. Out of Sight: The Postclassic and Early Colonial Periods at Chau Hiix, Belize / Christopher R. Andres and K. Anne Pyburn -- 19. High Times in the Hill Country: A Perspective from the Terminal Classic Puuc Region / Kelli Carmean, Nicholas Dunning and Jeff Karl Kowalski -- 20. The Rise and Fall of Terminal Classic Yaxuna, Yucatan, Mexico / Charles Suhler, Traci Ardren, David Freidel and Dave Johnstone -- 21. The Decline of the East: The Classic to Postclassic Transition at Ek Balam, Yucatan / William M. Ringle, George J. Bey III, Tara Bond Freeman, Craig A. Hanson, Charles W. Houck and J. Gregory Smith -- 22. Chichen Itza: Settlement and Hegemony During the Terminal Classic Period / Rafael Cobos Palma -- 23. The Terminal Classic in the Maya Lowlands: Assessing Collapses, Terminations, and Transformations / Arthur A. Demarest, Prudence M. Rice and Don S. Rice

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews