LA CIVILTA' MAYA | 1970 | J. ERIC S. THOMPSON

J. Eric S. Thompson’s La civiltà Maya (Italian edition, 1970) is the translation of one of the most influential works on Mesoamerican archaeology and anthropology. Thompson, a leading Mayanist of the 20th century, presents a comprehensive synthesis of Maya history, society, art, religion, and calendar systems. His approach combines archaeological evidence, epigraphy, and ethnographic parallels, aiming to reconstruct the political and spiritual life of this complex civilization. While later scholarship revised many of his conclusions—particularly about Maya writing—this volume remains an essential testimony of mid-20th-century Maya studies, offering readers both a detailed narrative and a historical perspective on the evolution of pre-Columbian scholarship.