GREAT RIVER CITIES OF THE ANCIENT MAYA
The ancient lowland Maya civilization of Mexico and Central America is often celebrated for its achievements in an environment unique for its lack of rivers, unlike that of the ancient Egyptian, Sumerian, Indus, and Chinese civilizations. Nevertheless, many major lowland Maya cities were indeed located along important rivers such as the Usumacinta, Pasión, Belize, Motagua, among others. These “River Cities” provided the rest of the Maya lowlands access to the resource-rich highlands to the south, as well as contact with to both the Caribbean and Gulf coasts. Moreover, they facilitated the movement of peoples throughout the region, allowed for critical movement and trading of exotic goods, and gave rise to innovative artistic and architectural styles. For these reasons, this conference will focus on how and why the great river cities of the ancient lowland Maya represent some of the most intriguing, opulent, and important segments of this civilization.
Speakers
"Preclassic Settlement and Emerging Hierarchies in the Belize River Valley" -- M. Kathryn Brown
"Introducing the Ancient Maya to the Classroom" -- Diane Davies
"Maya Armageddon?: The Warring River Cities of the Great Maya Trade Route and the Collapse of Lowland Maya Civilization" -- Arthur A. Demarest
"Rivers and Ruins of the East-Central Yucatán Peninsula" -- Nicholas Dunning
"Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphic Writing" -- Markus Eberl
"River Royalty: Kings and Queens of Waká, An Ancient Maya Dynasty" -- David Freidel
"Off the Beaten Path: Fractured Landscapes, Political Dynamism, and Artistic Innovation in the Middle Usumacinta River Valley" -- Charles Golden
"Cenotes, Rain Deities, and Creation Episodes in the Maya Codices" -- Christine Hernandez
"The Beginning of a River City: Ceibal and Its Neighbors" -- Takeshi Inomata
"Rivers and Water in the Classic Maya World" -- Scott Johnson
"Cultural and Historical Landscapes: Northern Chiapas Sierras and Tabasco Rivers" -- Rodrigo Liendo Stuardo
"Quirigua and Riverine Trade within the Copan Kingdom" -- Robert J. Sharer
"Cenotes, Rain Deities, and Creation Episodes in the Maya Codices" -- Gabrielle Vail
"The Political History of a Dynamic Landscape: Classic Maya Civilization in the Belize River Valley" -- Jason Yaeger
"The Contest for the Usumacinta" -- Marc Zender