Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- List of Tables -- Foreword -- Preface -- 1. Ancient Maya Urbanism in the Eastern Lowlands -- 2. Studying Maya Cities -- 3. The Setting in Space and Time -- 4. Preclassic Foundations -- 5. Southern Belize -- 6. Vaca Plateau and Maya Mountains -- 7. Belize Valley -- 8. Northwestern Belize -- 9. Northern Belize -- 10. Comparisons and Urban Planning -- 11. Deciphering Meaning in Maya Cities -- References Cited -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z.

For more than a century researchers have studied Maya ruins, and sites like Tikal, Palenque, Copán, and Chichén Itzá have shaped our understanding of the Maya. Yet the lowlands of Belize, which were once home to a rich urban tradition that persisted and evolved for almost 2,000 years, are treated as peripheral to these great Classic period sites. The hot and humid climate and dense forests are inhospitable and make preservation of the ruins difficult, but this oft-ignored area reveals much about Maya urbanism and culture. Using data collected from different sites throughout the Maya lowlands, including the Vaca Plateau and the Belize River Valley, Brett Houk presents the first synthesis of these unique monuments and discusses methods for mapping and excavating. Considering the sites through the theoretical lenses of the built environment and ancient urban planning, Houk vividly reconstructs their political history, how they fit into the larger political landscape of the Classic Maya, and how the ancient cities fell apart over time.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.