An introduction to the people, places, and beliefs behind seven creations of ancient Central and South America.

The work of Argentine photographer Leandro Katz is presented here in dialogue with the nineteenth-century artist Frederick Catherwood, known for his images of Maya ruins. Catherwood's daguerreotypes and sketches, originally published to illustrate the travel narratives of John Lloyd Stephens, are among the most accurate depictions of important Maya sites before the advent of modern archaeology. Katz's photos of the same sites, most of which are previously...

A history of the Maya Indians in the city of Tikal, founded in 800 B.C.

Traces the history of the struggle to decipher the Mayan language, describing the conflicting approaches and explaining what Mayan inscriptions reveal about their culture.

Traces Maya civilization from its earliest beginnings to the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century, examining the daily life of the people, and discusses topics such as the civilization's economy, social and political systems, writing and calendar, arts and crafts, and religion.

"The history of North America, from Christopher Columbus to the present day, is a chaotic struggle for ownership of the land. This text will address questions such as the history of native communities that were displaced or conquered, and even further back to how Native North, Central and South Americans came to these continents in the first place. Historical facts are mainly supported through archaeological findings."--Publisher information.