Maya architecture Temples in the sky

In this volume, Treister, a professional architect, places the Maya among the great architectural traditions of the ancient world and attempts to illustrate how art and architecture were integrated into the social fabric of Maya culture. The first three chapters give a general description of Maya architecture and the principles that were used to develop it. Much of this material is intuited as the author attempts to understand the connection between the culture and built space. These chapters are followed by more in-depth, substantive discussions of materials used, structural components, and the role of different structures in the urban space. Also included are a brief but interesting chapter on the role of architecture in the collapse of the Late Classic Maya civilization, and a discussion of influences of Maya architecture on later traditions. The second half of the book is a photo album of architecture from ten sites. The quality of the photographs varies, and the images are not always relevant to the text. This section is reminiscent of works such as Mesoamerica's Ancient Cities, by W. M. Ferguson and R. E. W. Adams (rev. ed., CH, Sep'02, 40-0373). Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and general readers. J. J. Borowicz Mercyhurst University