PIEDRAS NEGRAS

 

COE, William, Piedras Negras archaeology: artifacts, caches, and burials (University Museum, University of Pennsylvania. Museum monographs) . 240 p. filled with data on flint, obsidian (especially eccentrics), jade; has drawings of the royal tombs of Piedras Negras. The most complete report ever published on Piedras Negras. A standard reference work essential for all archaeologists, especially for the hieroglyphs on artifacts (has all the glyph drawings from incised artifacts).

HERRMANN, Andreas, Auf den Spuren der Maya: Eine Fotodokumentation von Teobert Maler (1842-1917) , 19th century photographs by TEOBERT MALER of Maya sites. Published by ADEVA-Graz (long out of print). Ignore the German, go for the great photographs: PIEDRAS NEGRAS with the Usumacinta River in the background, the stelae of Piedras Negras still in situ, YAXCHILAN with the stelae before being removed to Mexico City.
- See the illusive HUNTICHMUL II, the bizarre tower system totally unlike anything at Rio Bec.
- DZIBILTUN, the most beautiful single temple in the entire Chenes area. DSEBKABTUN's main palace before it collapsed.
- Panorama of HOCHOB before the most ornate monster-facade building collapsed.
- SANTA ROSA XTAMPAK as it looked in the last century. - front and rear views. 19th century photographs including the sculptures in the palace while still intact! The incredible temple of Maler's Plate 42 has never been found since - one of the most bizarre sculptured facades in the Chenes area.
- The Maler photograph of DZIBILNOCAC is the best ever taken.
- Shows KIUIC, ICHPICH, and many ruins unknown until George Andrews rephotographed them in the 1970's.
- The view of XKICHMOL (sic) shows a view no longer possible today.
- Shows what Uxmal looked like in the last century.
Libraries, scholars, and collectors are coming to FLAAR since they report the publisher in Graz says it is "sorry, out of print." You cannot get this cheaper by ordering directly from Graz because they have no more copies. The book is totally out of print. We have about two copies left. A treasure of 19th century photographs.

MAYA PRACTICE STONE CARVING AT PIEDRAS NEGRAS by L. Satterthwaite. The only article available which illustrates how the Maya organized the glyph columns on the stelae. Fascinating reading. Expedition, Vol. 7, No. 2, 1965.

SATTERTHWAITE, L., "PIEDRAS NEGRAS ARCHAEOLOGY: ARCHITECTURE - SWEATBATHS" Original edition (1952), a rare find with complete description, photographs, architectural drawings of all ritual sweatbath structures, including ethnographic description of the sweat ritual itself.

 

SHOOK, Edwin and Alfred Kidder; THE PAINTED TOMB AT TIKAL description and photographs of discovery of the only major tomb at Tikal that had murals. This is the tomb mentioned in comparison with the recently discovered Rio Azul tomb murals; in same issue, "LORDS OF THE MAYA REALM" by Tatiana PROSKOURIAKOFF, describes how she deciphered the Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions at Piedras Negras. Vol. 4, No. 1, 1961.

 

 

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