The publication of this book finally places the exquisitely carved but little known monuments of Caracol with those of Quirigua, Copan, and Tikal. New breakthroughs in the decipherment of Maya text have enabled the graceful hieroglyphic inscriptions to be translated. University Museum Monograph, 45

Alfonso Cruz Espinosa's life was not an easy one but one supported by the rich cultural values of his Mexican ancestry. 'Fonso was born into the loving arms of his parents in 1927, in El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora, La Reina de Los Cielos y Los Angeles - Los Angeles, California - where his parents had settled after immigrating from Mexico. Following their own American dream, he and his family migrated from Los Angeles to the San Joaquin Valley of California. There they moved from labor camp to labor camp, following the crops and opportunities for work. Alfonso and his family faced the hardships many Depression-era workers encountered, multiplied by the fact that discrimination against non-white workers was blatant and widespread. Faced with leaving school at an early age to help support his family, Alfonso found it more and more difficult to work alongside his father in the sulfur-laden agricultural fields of the "Great Valley." Not only would he face a crisis that would mean the end to all his dreams, he would be in a battle for his very survival. A tale lovingly told by Espinosa's daughter, El Caracol is a beautiful testament to the strength and tenacity of the human spirit. A story of both tragedy and triumph, Alfonso's story is that of an everyday hero, simply standing up to be heard in the world. Full of the rich details of a loving family in harsh times, the result is both as simple, and as complex, as the spiral shell which shares its name."

Para la pequeña Marina, poder ver de cerca el mundo marino era un sueño que se le va a cumplir, a pesar de las malvadas intenciones de un ser lleno de crueldad, que odia todo lo bueno. Gracias al heroísmo de Luz, una de las hijas del Rey de los Mares, Marina es rescatada en un final emocionante, lleno de sorpresas y moralejas que hacen de esta historia un tesoro educativo.

Collection of articles providing new research on warfare in ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican societies based on archaeological, ethnohistorical, and linguistic evidence

Tikal, Copán, Uaxactún - ancient Maya cities whose names conjure up romance, mystery, and science all at once. Joyce Kelly’s clear descriptions and captivating photographs of these and many other sites will make you want to pack your bags and head for Central America. And when you arrive, this guidebook will not let you down. It covers 38 sites and 25 museums - more than any other guidebook - in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Kelly’s information is accurate and up to date: she has visited every site personally. The descriptions include all the major, well-known sites and many not appearing other guidebooks. Kelly describes each site and museum, from its pyramids and temples to its hieroglyphic stairways and "eccentric flints." She includes many site plans, and her description of each site includes its ancient history as well as its recent archaeological activity. Equally important, Kelly describes exactly how to get there. Clear maps and precise written directions include the distance (in miles and kilometers) and the driving time required for each segment of the trip. If you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to negotiate rutted dirt roads, Kelly tells you. If you need a guide, she tells you where to find one.

"Brings together for the first time all the major sites of this part of the Maya world and helps us understand how the ancient Maya planned and built their beautiful cities. It will become both a handbook and a source of ideas for other archaeologists for years to come."--George J. Bey III, coeditor of Pottery Economics in Mesoamerica "Skillfully integrates the social histories of urban development."--Vernon L. Scarborough, author of The Flow of Power: Ancient Water Systems and Landscapes "Any scholar interested in urban planning and the built environment will find this book engaging and useful."--Lisa J. Lucero, author of Water and Ritual 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 cities of the eastern lowlands of Belize, an area that was 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 lowlands, including the Vaca Plateau and the Belize River Valley, Brett Houk presents the first synthesis of these unique ruins and discusses methods for mapping and excavating them. Considering the sites through the analytical lenses of the built environment and ancient urban planning, Houk vividly reconstructs their political history, considers how they fit into the larger political landscape of the Classic Maya, and examines what they tell us about Maya city building.