"The Maya" by Michael D. Coe

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the anthropological book "The Maya," by Michael D. Coe which presents a detailed analysis of the Mayan people who survive to this day in the area of Central America and a small part of Southern Mexico. The author appreciates Coe's style as he moves the civilization through time and includes drawing of the people's pottery and craftware, which clearly illustrates their cultural growth. The author feels that the ending was a major letdown because the book just seemed to end at a point where much more could have been said.

From the Paper:

"Reading this book makes the reader extremely aware of the many details of culture that can be discovered by looking at the results of an archeological dig. Because of the findings, scientists know the Mayas kept dogs and bees, hunted wild animals near their homes, fished, (included the ways they fished), and grew many crops, including corn, beans, and squash. They also know they produced salt, and traded a variety of other goods (Coe 140-141). It is amazing to think all this information rests beneath the ground, and it can be found relatively easily once a particular archeological area is discovered and established. It cannot help but make the reader wonder what our civilization is leaving behind, and what future archeologists will think about our own civilization."

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