This week, I'm excited to share a signed copy of Diana L. Driver's guidebook, THE MAYA: PEOPLE OF THE MAIZE. It's geared toward readers interested in an overall view of the ancient Mayan culture. Topics include Mayan history, religion and social structure.You'll find examples of Mayan art, pictures and descriptions of their temples and glyphs. With Dec. 21, 2012, fast approaching, you'll want to check out Diana's fascinating overview of predictions about the end of the Fourth Age of Creation, not only from the Maya but from the I Ching, Edgar Cayce, the Hopi nation and other sources.
"The Maya created a civilization based on terror and human sacrifice and yet managed to excel in the arts, writing, mathematics, astronomy and the building of temple structures that rival the Egyptian pyramids. However, by the time the Spanish arrived, most of the great Mayan cities had been abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle. Why did this happen?"
Learn about the author, Diana L. Driver, in her Sept. 1 interview on The Writers' Lens.
To enter the contest, simply leave a comment or question on The Writers' Lens blog between now (Nov. 14) and midnight Nov. 19, 2011. Please include your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you leave, the greater your chance of winning the contest. The winner will be chosen after midnight on Saturday and the announcement made on Sunday, Nov. 20.
Thanks in advance for your comments, and good luck!
OK! ... I'm going to play in this one.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they disappear? ... no idea but I do wonder if there are any parallels to the turmoil in our world today, albeit on a much larger scale.
Any thoughts?
widdershinsfirst @ gmail.com
Put my name in the hat for this drawing, please.
ReplyDeleteI have done some reading about the Mississipian culture that caused me to wonder about seeming parallels to the history of the Mayas and Aztecs.
Regardless whether I win a free copy or not, this is going on my "to be read" list. If I win a copy, I'll read it sooner rather than later. My TBR stack is high, so I'm currently on a book-buying hiatus. However, if a copy were to fall into my hands, it might migrate to the top of the stack.
Diana, can you give us a little bit of insight as to what prompted your interest in the Mayan civilization? Or tell us a bit about how you went about researching this book?
janetbettag@hotmail.com
Just for the sake of discussion, here's what I've read about why they disappeared (I'm not totally convinced). Weather patterns shifted, making the climate drier, and their agricultural practices weren't sustainable. Facing dwindling resources and water shortages, people left the cities and moved back to live off the land. And, of course, the constant warfare didn't help either. Similar to today? I'd say you could make a case for it.
ReplyDelete