The lost chronicles of the Maya kings

the long version

"The Chronicles of the Maya Kings are the histories recorded on the reliefs of temple walls, on hieroglyphic stairways, and on stone stelae planted by Maya rulers in the plazas of their cities.". "In this book, David Drew brings to life this extraordinary civilization. He answers questions about why the Mayas constructed their cities in the hostile setting of the jungle, the exact age of their ruins, and the strange human images depicted in elaborate costume at so many Maya sites. He asks why at the time of the Spanish conquest all knowledge of the Mayas was lost. He looks at their history, art, architecture, political systems, religion, and, finding that the Maya are not in fact a lost or dead people - there are five million descendants living in Mexico - considers the ways in which their society today illuminates that of their ancestors."--BOOK JACKET.