Bones of the Maya
306 pages, 7 x 10
138 illus.
Paperback
Release Date:20 Aug 2006
ISBN:9780817353766
Bones of the Maya
Studies of Ancient Skeletons
Edited by Stephen L. Whittington and David M. Reed
University of Alabama Press
Brings together for the first time a broad spectrum of bioarchaeologists and reveals remarkable data on Maya genetic relationship, demographic, and diseases
New techniques in osteology have yielded findings on Maya diet and health that challenge the ecological model of collapse. This benchmark collection of essays defined the state of Mayan skeletal studies. Its coverage spans the formative through colonial periods, with a geographic focus on the Maya lowlands of northern Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras. Bringing together for the first time a broad spectrum of bioarchaeologists and revealing remarkable data on Maya genetic relationship, demographic, and diseases, the collection covers divers topics such as osteological, dental, bone chemistry, and DNA analyses. The diet and health status of Maya populations is a major theme, especially in relation to social status, gender, and the historical problem of the "collapse."
New techniques in osteology have yielded findings on Maya diet and health that challenge the ecological model of collapse. This benchmark collection of essays defined the state of Mayan skeletal studies. Its coverage spans the formative through colonial periods, with a geographic focus on the Maya lowlands of northern Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras. Bringing together for the first time a broad spectrum of bioarchaeologists and revealing remarkable data on Maya genetic relationship, demographic, and diseases, the collection covers divers topics such as osteological, dental, bone chemistry, and DNA analyses. The diet and health status of Maya populations is a major theme, especially in relation to social status, gender, and the historical problem of the "collapse."
The breadth and scope of this book demonstrate the vital role that biological data gleaned from skeletal remains play in reconstructing and interpreting the history of the human condition.’
—American Scientist
Groundbreaking.' —Journal of Archaeological Research
Stephen L. Whittington is Director of the Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University.
David M. Reed is a research scientist at the University of Michigan.
David M. Reed is a research scientist at the University of Michigan.
