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The Four Heavens

A New History of the Ancient Maya
By David Stuart
Series: Unearthing the Past
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Brief Description
The Four Heavens brings to life the cultural and visual splendour of the ancient Maya, drawing on the oldest indigenous texts of the Americas and the latest archaeological discoveries to present an entirely new history of this spectacular civilisation. Renowned historian and archaeologist David Stuart, who... Read More
Format: Hardback
$6999
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From the world-leading expert on the Maya, a monumental history of a flourishing civilisation across three millennia

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Four Heavens brings to life the cultural and visual splendour of the ancient Maya, drawing on the oldest indigenous texts of the Americas and the latest archaeological discoveries to present an entirely new history of this spectacular civilisation. Renowned historian and archaeologist David Stuart, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics, shows how there was no single rise and fall of the Maya but a series of births and collapses over a breathtaking span of nearly three millennia.

Maya history was seemingly lost forever when the first Europeans encountered the great ruins of ancient cities in what is today Mexico and Central America. Today, with the recent decipherment of their ancient writings, the story of the Maya can now be told from their perspective. Stuart traces the rapid emergence of permanent settlements in the rainforest, which gave rise to monumental architecture and a flourishing urbanism and ushered in the Classic period of Maya civilisation beginning in the mid-second century CE.

He reveals a world of majestic royal courts tightly bound together by marriages, shifting alliances, and warfare, much of it driven by the ambitions of two major dynasties, the Kanuls and Mutuls. Stuart describes how the long-standing rivalry between these two great houses shaped the fates of the surrounding kingdoms and may have set the stage for 'the Great Rupture' of the ninth century, when the royal courts buckled under the weight of internal strife, social unrest, and environmental crisis, transforming Maya civilisation yet again.

With stunning illustrations, including many of Stuart's own drawings and images, The Four Heavens is a work of momentous historical sweep, one that paints an unforgettable portrait of the Maya and the richly complex social, political, and cosmological worlds in which they lived.

Available in Spanish from our partners at Grupo Planeta.

Series: Unearthing the Past

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  • The Four Heavens
    The Four Heavens
    The Four Heavens brings to life the cultural and visual splendour of the ancient Maya, drawing on the oldest indigenous texts of the Americas and the latest archaeological discoveries to present an entirely new history of this spectacular civilisation. Renowned historian and archaeologist David Stuart, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics, shows how there was...
    By David Stuart
    Hardback
    $6999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691213842

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 03 March 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 8-page color insert. 85 b/w illus. 6 maps.

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 816g

Pages: 488

Collections

American & Canadian History Ancient & Classical History David Stuart Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Series: Unearthing the Past

About the Author

David Stuart is the David and Linda Schele Professor of Mesoamerican Art and Writing and director of the Mesoamerica Center at the University of Texas at Austin. His books include Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya, The Order of Days: Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Maya, and Spearthrower Owl: A Teotihuacan Ruler in Maya History. He is the youngest person ever to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship.

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