{"title":"Joel W Palka","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"a-to-z-of-ancient-mesoamerica-book-joel-w-palka-9780810875661","title":"The A to Z of Ancient Mesoamerica","description":"Ancient Mesoamerica drew world interest in the 19th century when photographs, drawings, and descriptions of discoveries of ruined cities in exotic locations in Mexico and Central America were published. These accounts from early explorers, archaeologists, and travelers made the cultures and archaeological sites of ancient Mesoamerica including the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Mixtec, Tarascan, Toltec, Zapotec, and other civilizations a major focus of intensive research, public and private funding, and lay interest. The A to Z of Ancient Mesoamerica covers some of the major discoveries throughout ancient Mesoamerica from the last 100 years. The results of previous and continuing research and explorations, plus recent interpretations of ancient cultures and new work at archaeological sites in Mesoamerica are summarized here. Included in this volume are information and insights on archaeological sites, material culture, social and economic organization, religion and belief systems, and the social history of ancient Mesoamerica. The entries contain geographical, chronological, historical, and interpretive data that serve as a condensed and accessible resource of reference material. Also presented here are select historical personages of ancient times and some brief notes on their lives and accomplishments taken from hieroglyphic texts, painted books or codices, and written documents and oral histories from the colonial period. With a bibliography and chronology, this text will be the perfect starting point for high school or undergraduate research, and a helpful ready-reference for more experienced scholars.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52125815472401,"sku":"NLS9780810875661","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780810875661.jpg?v=1757468898"},{"product_id":"maya-pilgrimage-to-ritual-landscapes-book-joel-w-palka-9780826354747","title":"Maya Pilgrimage to Ritual Landscapes","description":"Pilgrimage to ritually significant places is a part of daily life in the Maya world. These journeys involve important social and practical concerns, such as the maintenance of food sources and world order. Frequent pilgrimages to ceremonial hills to pay offerings to spiritual forces for good harvests, for instance, are just as necessary for farming as planting fields. Why has Maya pilgrimage to ritual landscapes prevailed from the distant past and why are journeys to ritual landscapes important in Maya religion? How can archaeologists recognize Maya pilgrimage, and how does it compare to similar behaviour at ritual landscapes around the world? The author addresses these questions and others through cross-cultural comparisons, archaeological data, and ethnographic insights.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52680011612433,"sku":"NLS9780826354747","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780826354747.jpg?v=1763476819"},{"product_id":"classic-maya-social-inequality-networks-and-collapse-at-dos-pilas-peten-guatemal-book-joel-w-palka-9781647692674","title":"Classic Maya Social Inequality, Networks, and Collapse at Dos Pilas, Petén, Guatemala","description":"Household archaeology and the unraveling of Classic Maya power   The Classic Maya collapse (ca. CE 800) in Mesoamerica has been the focus of much scholarly debate over the last century. In Classic Maya Social Inequality, Networks, and Collapse at Dos Pilas, PetÉn, Guatemala, Joel W. Palka further explores possible causes of the collapse and breaks new ground by examining its differing effects on Maya elites and commoners.   Drawing on four years of extensive household excavations, Palka reveals how the unraveling of Maya society unfolded not through drought or economic decline alone, but through the disintegration of elite social networks and shifting strategies of survival among high-status commoners. Using data from monumental architecture, hieroglyphic inscriptions, and domestic archaeology, this study illuminates the lived experience of collapse from multiple social strata. By integrating political, environmental, and household perspectives, Palka provides one of the most comprehensive archaeological analyses of social change at an ancient Maya capital. This richly illustrated volume redefines our understanding of collapse, resilience, and transformation in ancient Mesoamerica, offering vital insights for archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians alike.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53338192707857,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53338193035537,"sku":"NGR9781647692674","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781647692674.jpg?v=1774356437"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-joel-w-palka.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}