The Mystery of the Ancient Maya by Charles Gallenkamp
"The Mystery of the Ancient Maya" by Charles Gallenkamp and Carolyn Mae Meyer delves into the intriguing history and culture of the Maya civilization, particularly exploring the factors behind its enigmatic decline. The book highlights the adventures of mid-nineteenth-century explorers, such as John Lloyd Stephens, who journeyed to Guatemala to uncover and document significant Mayan ruins. Structured in four parts, the text covers the explorers' quests, the lives of Mayan royalty, daily routines in Mayan cities, and various theories regarding the civilization's disappearance.
Gallenkamp contributes his archaeological expertise, ensuring that the book is not only engaging but also grounded in solid research. The authors incorporate artistic renderings, archival photographs, and maps to enhance understanding of the Mayan culture and its sophisticated system of writing and mathematics. While the narrative may include cumbersome anecdotal elements, the technical language is defined clearly, making it accessible to a younger audience. Overall, the book serves as a comprehensive introduction to one of Mesoamerica's most fascinating cultures and invites readers to reflect on the complexities and legacies of the Maya civilization.
The Mystery of the Ancient Maya by Charles Gallenkamp
First published: 1985; illustrated
Subjects: Race and ethnicity, religion, and travel
Type of work: History
Time of work: Prehistory to the mid-twentieth century
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Locale: Guatemala, Yucatan, and Belize
Principal Personages:
The Maya , a highly civilized Central American populaceJohn Lloyd Stephens , the nineteenth century explorer-author whose writings publicized the magnificence of Mayan ruinsFrederick Catherwood , an artist who teamed with Stephens and whose pen-and-ink drawings gave the world its first detailed images of Mayan ruinsDiego DeLanda , a bishop of the Yucatan, a self-professed savior of the Maya and the author ofRelación de las Cosas de Yucatán , a complex, complete detail of Mayan daily lifeEdward Herbert Thompson , an American scholar who lived in the Yucatan and studied the Maya for more than forty yearsAlfred P. Maudslay , an Englishmen archaeologist who quantified Maya research as a scienceAlberto Ruz Lluillier , an archaeologist from the Center for Maya Studies in Mexico whose research and digs provided substantial information about the Maya
Form and Content
The Mystery of the Ancient Maya suggests answers to the enigmatic demise of the Mayan civilization. Carolyn Mae Meyer and her coauthor Charles Gallenkamp follow the wanderlust and exploits of mid-nineteenth century explorers, adventurers, and thrill seekers. One such explorer, John Lloyd Stephens, journeyed to Guatemala to uncover significant ruins belonging to one of the most fascinating cultures of the Americas, the Maya. The book describes the unrelenting pursuit for a lost civilization that followed.
Meyer is a studious writer who actively becomes involved in her subject matter. Gallenkamp is an archaeologist, student of the Maya, and the author of several books about the subject and is highly respected by his peers. His solid archaeological expertise complements Meyer’s writing style.
The book follows a chronological format when reviewing the explorations but reverts to past centuries in order to discuss the Mayan civilization, its rituals, lifestyle, sacrifices, and wars. The book’s four parts describe the mid-nineteenth century exploration of Mayan ruins, the Mayan royalty, the day-to-day routine of a Mayan city, and theories about the disappearance of the Maya. Each section is well organized, although the omnipresent anecdotal lead-in becomes tiresome, if not confusing. Some beautifully detailed artistic renderings dot the verbal landscape and are accompanied by archival photographs and illustrations—of particular note are the representations of tomb paintings. Pen-and-ink drawings accurately illustrate the emblem glyphs, numerical graphics, and hieroglyphs of Mayan cities. Maps appropriately orient the reader. The index is strong enough to withstand detailed research within the book, and a three-page glossary clearly marks the pronunciation of Mayan terminology.
Although the book’s language is technical at times, the authors carefully define their terms and the processes, items, or tools under discussion. Scientific, technical, archaeological, and Mayan terms are used accurately throughout the text, and most young readers will understand.
Critical Context
Carolyn Meyer has published dozens of fiction and nonfiction books for young adults, as well as several books for a middle-school audience. She is a hands-on author who relishes the learning experience that is involved in the writing process. In order to enhance her skills at character development, she may study kung fu, go camping and kayaking, and research quicksand, wildflowers, plastic surgery, and opera—all for one novel. One of her series, Hotline, demanded knowledge of suicide hotline operators, and so she became a volunteer for a year. Meyer enjoys doing her homework.
Although Meyer has written many crafts and how-to books, she is no stranger to descriptive writing about cultures and peoples. In the United States, she studied crafts and craftspeople for People Who Make Things: How American Craftsmen Live and Work (1975); immersed herself in the Amish community for Amish People: Plain Living in a Complex World (1976); and presented a viable point of view in Eskimos: Growing Up in a Changing Culture (1977). Meyer has also analyzed other cultures and other times; she traveled to Africa to explore the southern part of the continent and wrote Voices of South Africa: Growing Up in a Troubled Land (1986). She repeated this successful formula for books about the Irish and Japanese cultures.
Consequently, it was not a huge step for Meyer to team with Charles Gallenkamp for their corroborative study of the Maya. Gallenkamp, a scholar, archaeologist, and compiler, organized a traveling exhibit of Mayan artifacts called “Maya: Treasures of an Ancient Civilization.”