This reference for general readers and students in high school and up draws on established facts and data-based hypotheses to reconstruct the ancient Maya civilization, and also draws on the author's 40 years of experience directing archaeological excavations at Maya sites in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Rather than continually citing the vast literature, the referencing system used in the first edition has been continued and expanded for this second edition: a listing of principal sources of information for subjects covered at the end of each chapter. For this edition, there are new references to DVDs and web sites. This second edition reflects newly discovered sites and new decipherments of Maya writing since the first edition was published in 1996, and contains a new chapter on the changes that occurred at the end of the Middle Maya civilization. To make room for this chapter, the chapter on arts and crafts has been dropped, with information incorporated into chapters on the economy and society. There are 12 new b&w illustrations. A chronology and notes on pronunciation are included. Sharer teaches anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)