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Series:   Elements in Ancient and Pre-modern Economies

Ancient Maya Economies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2024

Scott R. Hutson
Scott R. Hutson
Affiliation:
University of Kentucky

Summary

Ancient Maya Economies synthesizes the state of the art across seven components: geographical and historical background, ritual economy, households, specialization, exchange, political economies, and future directions. Other Elements case studies use many of the same components, making it easy to compare and contrast ancient Maya economies with systems of production and consumption in other parts of the world. The time is right for this Elements case because knowledge of ancient Maya economies has undergone a revolution in the last few decades, resulting in a complex panorama of new economic information. Aerial laser scanning has revealed higher amounts of intensive agriculture and research on the ground has turned up better evidence for marketplaces. Maya economies feature specialized production, trade of both bulk goods and luxury goods, close integration with ritual and religion, and a carnival parade of political economies.
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Keywords

·marketplacescraft specializationritual economyhousehold archaeologyancient Maya
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements in Ancient and Pre-modern Economies
Online ISBN: 9781009374163
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 19 December 2024

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