Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, Volume I (eBook)

John L. Stephens (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2013
480 Seiten
Dover Publications (Verlag)
978-0-486-31876-9 (ISBN)

Infos

Volume 1 of two-volume work. Almost single-handed discovery of Maya culture; exploration of ruined cities, monuments, temples; customs of Indians. Short biographical note and 32 illustrations by Frederick Catherwood. Includes 19 chapters.

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Few explorers have had the experience of uncovering a civilization almost entirely unknown to the world. But Stephen's two expeditions to Mexico and Central America in 1839 and 1841 yielded the first solid information on the culture of the Maya Indians. In this work, and in his other masterpiece Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, he tells the story of his travels to some 50 ruined Mayan cities.In this book, he describes the excitement of exploring the magnificent ruined cities of Copan and Palenque, and his briefer excursions to Quirigua, Patinamit, Utatlan, Gueguetenango, Ocosingo, and Uxmal. For all these cities, his details are so accurate that more recent explorers used the book as a Baedeker to locate ruins forgotten by even the Indians.In addition to being a great book on archaeological discovery, Stephen's work is also a great travel book. Telling of journeying by mule back on narrow paths over unimaginable deep ravines, through sloughs of mud and jungles of heavy vegetation, describing dangers of robbery, revolution, fever, mosquitoes and more exotic insects, Stephen's narrative remains penetrating and alive. His account of his attempt to buy Copan for $50 is told with the adroitness of a Mark Twain, and his descriptions of Indian life — primitive villages a few miles from the ruins, burials, treatment of the sick, customs, amusements, etc. — never lose their interest.Frederick Catherwood's illustrations virtually double the appeal of the book. Highly exact, remarkably realistic drawings show overall views, ground plans of the cities, elevations of palaces and temples, free-standing sculpture, carved hieroglyphics, stucco bas-reliefs, small clay figures, and interior details.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 16.8.2013
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Reisen ► Sport- / Aktivreisen
• Schlagworte: 1839 • 1841 • 19th century • abandoned cities • Ackerman • adventure guide • adventurers • America • american countries • american diplomat • american lawyer • ancient maya • ancient mayan • ancient ruins • archaeology • archeological sites • Archeology • Backpack • Belize • books on adventure guides • books on american countries • books on american diplomats • books on american lawyers • books on ancient mayas • books on ancient ruins • books on archeological sites • books on british architects • books on british artists • books on central americans • books on contemporary photographs • books on indigenous populations • books on mayan civilizations • books on mayan cultures • books on mayan histories • books on mayan people • books on mayan ruins • books on maya people • books on maya ruins • books on maya sites • books on real-life adventures • books on travel narratives • books on western hemispheres • British Architect • British artist • Carlsen • Carrera • Central America • Central American • Chiapas • chichen • contemporary photographs • Copan • Cosimo • europeans arrived • expeditions • explorers • frederick catherwood • Greece • Guatemala • guatemalan • Handbook • incidents of travel • Indiana Jones • Indigenous population • intricately carved • john lloyd stephens • Jungle • Latin America • Malaria • mayan civilization • mayan culture • mayan history • mayan people • mayan ruins • mayans • maya people • maya ruins • maya sites • Mesoamerica • Mexico • Nicaragua • Palenque • Panama • real-life adventure • Sisal • spaniards • Temples • Tikal • travel narrative • Tribes • Tulum • unstable political • Uxmal • Volume II • Western Hemisphere • Yucatan
• ISBN-10: 0-486-31876-1 / 0486318761
• ISBN-13: 978-0-486-31876-9 / 9780486318769