Keywords

Mayas, Guatemala, Industries

Abstract

Descendants of the ancient civilizations of southern Mexico and Central America are one of the greatest sources of information of Maya life. today the modern Maya live and work in the rural villages and towns spread out over this vast region. Many Maya communities continue to thrive culturally, while others, due to colonialism and civil war, have lost many of their traditions and customs. But even those groups ravaged by the strains of globalization ad the industrial revolution have retained some thread of cultural patrimony that ties them to their prehistoric ancestors. This is manifest in many different forms of material culture, such as traditional clothing, ceremonial objects, and household tools.

Original Publication Citation

Searcy, Michael T. 2011 The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.