Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya: A Guide

By Victoria Schlesinger

Book Overview

A growing interest in all things Maya brings an increasing number of visitors to prehistoric Maya ruins and contemporary Maya communities in Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, western Honduras, the Yucat?n Peninsula, and the southern areas of Chiapas and Tabasco, Mexico. For these visitors and indeed everyone with an interest in the Maya, this field guide highlights nearly 100 species of plants and animals that were significant to the ancient Maya and that continue to inhabit the Maya region today.

Drawing from the disciplines of biology, ecology, and anthropology, Victoria Schlesinger describes each plant or animal's habitat and natural history, identifying characteristics (also shown in a black-and-white drawing), and cultural significance to the ancient and contemporary Maya. An introductory section explains how to use the book and offers a concise overview of the history, lifeways, and cosmology of the ancient Maya. The concluding section describes the collapse of ancient Maya society and briefly traces the history of the Maya region from colonial times to the present.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292777604
• ISBN13: 9780292777606
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 373 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

EARTH-SHATTERING!!!!

I have no idea who wrote this book, but it is the best thing I have ever read. Victoria Schlesinger's writing shows muscle as well as sensitivity. She disects, trisects, and intersects completely, revealing jungular dimensions of phantasmaflora.A thousand botanists bow down beforeeye flush with pride from afar.

Incredible!

This book is not simply an introduction to South American plants and animals. It is a fascinating journey through Mayan culture, with the role these elements played for the ancient Maya. This book is equal parts history, medicine, education, and adventure. I got it for Christmas and couldn't put it down.

Exceptional!

(Planeta.com Journal) - One of the best books of the past year, this work combines the details of a scientific field guide with anthropological research. The result is outstanding.Author Victoria Schlesinger tells the story about the animals and plants most commonly seen in Mundo Maya -- Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The book provides a synthesis of current research and will delight specialists and travelers alike. Chapters focus on Pine-Oak, Cloud and Tropical Forests, Savannas, Mangroves and Coral Reefs.The book is well illustrated with line drawings by Juan C. Chab-Medina. This is a beautiful book which would make an excellent holiday gift. I'm trying to think of a book that has piqued my interest as much as Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya, and I'd have to put this a category with Lane Simonian's Defending the Land of the Jaguar. Excellent!

A stunningly imaginative guide to the past

This is one of those incredibly rare guidebooks that pushes past the confines of the genre and brings something totally fresh to the endeavor. I am not a Maya scholar, but Schlesinger's writing is so evocative that I couldn't help but be totally pulled in by her descriptions of the plants and animals that inhabited the Maya world.

Mayan Natural World Revealed

This is an excellent guide for anyone interested in the Mayan world, both past and present. It is also a useful travel companion to take on a trip to Central America. The illustrations are excellent, and Ms Schlesinger writes ina clear, uncluttered style that is a real pleasure to read. A magical book about a people who saw the world through other eyes than our own.