Palenque: Recent Investigations at the Classic Maya Center

by Edwin L. Barnhart (Contribution by), Joshua A. Balcells Gonzalez (Contribution by), Mark B. Child (Contribution by), Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz (Contribution by), Kirk D. French (Contribution by)

Overview

Palenque is one of the best known and oldest Mayan archaeological sites. But recently little has been published on the ongoing work here. Marken's collection brings the archaeological record of Palenque up to date. Chapters cover a wide range of topics from architecture to hieroglyphic texts, from broad issues of chronology to settlement to theoretical and methodological issues concerning architectural excavations. Palenque represents an important update of research for any Mayan archaeologist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759113855
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/09/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Damien B. Marken is a member of the mapping team for the Proyecto Arqueol-gico El Pero-WakaO in Guatemala.

Table of Contents

1 Foreword
2 Preface
Part 3 INTRODUCTION
4 Palenque Archaeology: An Introduction
Part 5 CHRONOLOGY
6 Chronological Chart and Overview of Ceramic Developments at Palenque
7 Palenque and Selected Survey Sites in Chiapas and Tabasco: The Preclassic
8 The Construction Chronology of Palenque: Seriation Within an Architectural Form
Part 9 SETTLEMENT
10 The Problem of Political Integration in the Kingdom of Baak
11 Indicators of Urbanism at Palenque
12 Creating Space through Water Management at the Classic Maya Site of Palenque, Chiapas
Part 13 ARCHITECTURE AND EXCAVATION
14 Elite Residential Compounds at Late Classic Palenque
15 Following the Traces of Temple XX: Proyecto Grupo de las Cruces 2002 Excavations
16 A House of Cards: Construction, Proportion and Form at Temple XIX, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico
Part 17 RELIGION AND RITUAL SPACES
18 Gods and Histories: Mythology and Dynastic Succession at Temples XIX and XXI at Palenque
19 Ritual Purification and the Ancient Maya Sweatbath at Palenque
20 CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS AND CONCLUSIONS
21 Why Restore Architecture at Palenque?
22 Conclusion: Reconceptualizing the Palenque Polity
23 Index
24 About the Contributors

Editorial Reviews

Marken has selected essays that not only give the reader an intimate portrait of what Palenque looks like today, but also how it must have looked when it was a bustling metropolis. More important, these essays serve to provide the reader with a detailed analysis of the archaeological work now being done at Palenque, and how this research has added to our understanding of the city, as well as Maya history and culture...Essential reading for anyone with an interest in Palenque, or ancient Maya history or culture. It serves as an excellent reference book on the city, and is well suited for use as a supplemental text in both university level archaeology and anthropology courses dealing with ancient Mesoamerican studies.” —History In Review

“A major contribution to Maya archaeology; of lasting value for research library collections. Summing Up: Essential.” —Choice Reviews

“This is a very important contribution to Maya archaeology, and indispensable reading for anyone interested in Palenque. It makes available a great deal of new information from recent and on-going research at one of the most famous of all Classic Maya sites.” —Robert J. Sharer, University of Pennsylvania

“Palenque is that rarest of ruins: an ancient city that, through text, image, and architecture, tells us a vibrant story of dynastic glory and decay. With this volume, Damien Marken brings the latest scholarship on Palenque to wider notice and tells that story as never before. A group of specialists, both established and new, come together to reveal new truths about Palenque. Readers learn of the city's earliest years, its explosive growth into the countryside as Palenque gathers momentum, its elaborate, continuous development of a local theology, and the results of recent mapping that point to fruitful places for further work. This edited book is a landmark, a reference for all future work at this most princely and refined of Maya cities.” —Stephen Houston, Brown University, Department of Anthropology

“Damien Marken's edited book is valuable in that it draws together this latest generation of research…. An exceptionally useful case study.” —Journal Of The Royal Anthropological Institute

From the Publisher

"Palenque is that rarest of ruins: an ancient city that, through text, image, and architecture, tells us a vibrant story of dynastic glory and decay. With this volume, Damien Marken brings the latest scholarship on Palenque to wider notice and tells that story as never before. A group of specialists, both established and new, come together to reveal new truths about Palenque. Readers learn of the city's earliest years, its explosive growth into the countryside as Palenque gathers momentum, its elaborate, continuous development of a local theology, and the results of recent mapping that point to fruitful places for further work. This edited book is a landmark, a reference for all future work at this most princely and refined of Maya cities."

Stephen Houston

Marken has selected essays that not only give the reader an intimate portrait of what Palenque looks like today, but also how it must have looked when it was a bustling metropolis. More important, these essays serve to provide the reader with a detailed analysis of the archaeological work now being done at Palenque, and how this research has added to our understanding of the city, as well as Maya history and culture...Essential reading for anyone with an interest in Palenque, or ancient Maya history or culture. It serves as an excellent reference book on the city, and is well suited for use as a supplemental text in both university level archaeology and anthropology courses dealing with ancient Mesoamerican studies.

History In Review

Damien Marken's edited book is valuable in that it draws together this latest generation of research…. An exceptionally useful case study.

Journal Of The Royal Anthropological Institute

A major contribution to Maya archaeology; of lasting value for research library collections. Summing Up: Essential.

Choice Reviews

This is a very important contribution to Maya archaeology, and indispensable reading for anyone interested in Palenque. It makes available a great deal of new information from recent and on-going research at one of the most famous of all Classic Maya sites.

Robert J. Sharer

A major contribution to Maya archaeology; of lasting value for research library collections. Summing Up: Essential.

Choice

A major contribution to Maya archaeology; of lasting value for research library collections. Summing Up: Essential.

CHOICE