Mortuary Landscapes of the Classic Maya: Rituals of Body and Soul - Couverture rigide

Scherer, Andrew K.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1477300511 ISBN 13 : 9781477300510

Editeur : University of Texas Press, 2015

Synopsis

From the tombs of the elite to the graves of commoners, mortuary remains offer rich insights into Classic Maya society. In Mortuary Landscapes of the Classic Maya: Rituals of Body and Soul, the anthropological archaeologist and bioarchaeologist Andrew K. Scherer explores the broad range of burial practices among the Maya of the Classic period (AD 250–900), integrating information gleaned from his own fieldwork with insights from the fields of iconography, epigraphy, and ethnography to illuminate this society’s rich funerary traditions.

Scherer’s study of burials along the Usumacinta River at the Mexican-Guatemalan border and in the Central PetÉn region of Guatemala-areas that include Piedras Negras, El Kinel, Tecolote, El Zotz, and Yaxha-reveals commonalities and differences among royal, elite, and commoner mortuary practices. By analyzing skeletons containing dental and cranial modifications, as well as the adornments of interred bodies, Scherer probes Classic Maya conceptions of body, wellness, and the afterlife.

Scherer also moves beyond the body to look at the spatial orientation of the burials and their integration into the architecture of Maya communities. Taking a unique interdisciplinary approach, the author examines how Classic Maya deathways can expand our understanding of this society’s beliefs and traditions, making Mortuary Landscapes of the Classic Maya an important step forward in Mesoamerican archeology.

A propos du livre

À propos de l?auteur

Andrew K. Scherer is an associate professor of anthropology at Brown University. He is coauthor of Revisiting Maler’s Usumacinta: Recent Archaeological Investigations in Chiapas, Mexico.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: University of Texas Press
• Date d'édition: 2015
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1477300511
• ISBN 13: 9781477300510
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 323
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible