Tikal, The City of The Maya Book

Tikal is the greatest of all the classical Maya cities, and between the third and ninth centuries AD was at the center of a civilization that stretched across the tropical lowlands of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. The architectural remains at Tikal and other sites are characterized by extraordinary stone pyramids and temples which tower above the rainforest canopy. From the evidence they give, archaeologists try to piece together the rise and mysterious fall, five centuries before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, of the Maya.

This book brings together Tikal as it was at its most powerful and as it is now, an eerie ruined city in the threatened jungle. It describes ancient Maya society using historical writings and the latest archaeological evidence and illustrates its unique art and architecture at Tikal and other important sites in Guatemala and Mexico. And it powerfully evokes a sense of wonder, mystery, and admiration for the Maya that captures every visitor to their cities today.

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