Review by Choice Review
The carved monuments of the ancient Maya were central to the ritual and political life of the people, commemorating rulers and their acts and ultimately embodying them after death. Art historian O'Neil (College of William and Mary) examines the Classic Period sculptures from Piedras Negras, elucidating the relationship between carved monuments, the architectural spaces they occupy, and how people interacted with them within the cityscape. The initial chapter describes the carvings, their various functions, and settings. The second chapter explores the history of the site, its excavations, and resulting research that O'Neil builds upon. She addresses how people engaged these monuments and how the monuments interacted with each other in the city's ritual and political life. The author focuses on one set of monuments as a case study, illustrating the variety of ways the monuments were utilized. The final chapter addresses how these sculptures have continued to function in the present as artifact, black market commodity, and museum piece. An interesting addition to Matthew Looper's Lightning Warrior (2003), Elizabeth Newsome's Trees of Paradise and Pillars of the World (2001), and Flora Clancy's The Monuments of Piedras Negras (CH, Aug'09, 46-6886). Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. J. Borowicz Mercyhurst University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
