Ancient Maya civilization once flourished in the rainforests of what is today southern Mexico and Central America. It possessed the only full system of writing ever to be developed in the Americas. The pace of decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing has accelerated in the past few years, and half of the inscriptions from the sites of the Classic Period (AD 250-900) have now been read. Much of the newly available information consists of historical records of the careers of Maya rulers of the time.

This volume is the first to present in detail the results of decipherment and to consider the implications of a Classic Maya written history. Contributors examine the way in which the Maya elite created the kinship, alliance, warfare and ceremonial networks on which the civilization was founded. Drawing upon important material just recently made available, they have transformed our understanding of the Maya.