Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Classic Maya Social Inequality, Networks, and Collapse at DOS Pilas, Petén, Guatemala

Classic Maya Social Inequality, Networks, and Collapse at DOS Pilas, Petén, Guatemala

Palka, Joel W.

Hardcover

Archaeology

ISBN10: 1647692679
ISBN13: 9781647692674
Publisher: University of Utah Press
Published: May 29 2026
Pages: 290
Weight: 1.71
Height: 0.80 Width: 7.10 Depth: 10.10
Language: English
Household archaeology and the unraveling of Classic Maya power

The Classic Maya collapse (ca. CE 800) in Mesoamerica has been the focus of much scholarly debate over the last century. In Classic Maya Social Inequality, Networks, and Collapse at Dos Pilas, Petén, Guatemala, Joel W. Palka further explores possible causes of the collapse and breaks new ground by examining its differing effects on Maya elites and commoners.

Drawing on four years of extensive household excavations, Palka reveals how the unraveling of Maya society unfolded not through drought or economic decline alone, but through the disintegration of elite social networks and shifting strategies of survival among high-status commoners. Using data from monumental architecture, hieroglyphic inscriptions, and domestic archaeology, this study illuminates the lived experience of collapse from multiple social strata. By integrating political, environmental, and household perspectives, Palka provides one of the most comprehensive archaeological analyses of social change at an ancient Maya capital. This richly illustrated volume redefines our understanding of collapse, resilience, and transformation in ancient Mesoamerica, offering vital insights for archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians alike.

Also from

Palka, Joel W.

View All

Also in

Archaeology

View All