Quichean Civilization; The Ethnohistoric, Ethnographic, and Archaeological Sources

Description

Several centuries before the Spanish conquest, the Quichean people, moving southward from Mexico, overran the highlands of Guatemala and there established an independent state that endured until its destruction in 1524 by the conquistadors. During the early years of the ensuing period the Quicheans recorded their past history and legends, writing in their own language but using the Latin alphabet. Many of these chronicles have survived, each illuminating various aspects of preconquest Quichean culture. Because it evolved apart from Astern influences, Quichean civilization —a manifestation of Maya civilization—may be regarded as one of the special cultures in the history of mankind, comparable in many respects to those first great ones of the Old World in early Mesopotamia and Egypt, Minoan Crete, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River. How did the Quichean civilization originate? Why did it develop its particular characteristics? What were its major cultural accomplishments? In what respects did it resemble other early civilizations? How much of its cultural heritage survives among the present-day Guatemalan population? Before these and related questions can be answered with any certainty, the scientific evidence bearing on them must be collected, catalogued and appraised. In the present book Mr. Carmack describes some of this evidence, explains the circumstances of its origin, and assesses the value of each item insofar as it contributes to our understanding of Quichean civilization. Mr. Carmack is a member of the Department of Anthropology at the State University of New York, Albany.