Ancient Maya Economies

This Element provides a study of the Economies of Ancient Mayan Civilization.

Scott R. Hutson (Author)

9781009374156, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 December 2024

78 pages
23 x 15 x 0.5 cm, 0.128 kg

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.

1. Introduction
2. Geographical and Historical Background
3. Embeddedness
4. Household economy
5. Craft specialization
6. Exchange
7. Political Economy
8. Future Directions
References.

Subject Areas: Archaeology [HD]