title: The Classic Maya (Cambridge World Archaeology)
author:  Stephen D. Houston 
description: "...valuable for anyone interested in Mesoamerica, and a major contribution to Maya studies. Essential." -Choice
zlib_text: # MAYAN CIVILIZATION
  
  ###  _A History From Beginning to End_
  
    
    
  
  _HENRY FREEMAN_
  
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  Copyright © 2016
  
  All rights reserved.
  
    
  
  The cover photo is a derivative of
  
  “Chichen Itza 3” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chichen_Itza_3.jpg) by
  Daniel Schwen, used under CC BY-SA 4.0
  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en),
  
  “ Dintel 26 de Yachilán 3” (
  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dintel_26_de_Yachil%C3%A1n_3.jpg) by
  ProtoplasmaKid, used under  CC BY-SA 4.0 (
  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en).
  
  
  Table of Contents
  
  [Introduction](text00002.html#_Toc442713817)
  
  [Who Made Contact? Early Explorers and their
  Impact](text00003.html#sigil_toc_id_1)
  
  [How the Maya Wanted to Be Represented - History Written by the
  Victors](text00004.html#sigil_toc_id_2)
  
  [Different Periods of Maya History](text00005.html#sigil_toc_id_3)
  
  [Larger Than Life](text00006.html#sigil_toc_id_4)
  
  [New Findings](text00007.html#sigil_toc_id_5)
  
  [Conclusions](tex