Bones of the Maya ─ Studies of Ancient Skeletons

Osteological and dental studies of buried Maya remains can provide important information on such topics as the nature of status differentiation in Maya populations, the kinds of nutritional states and disease loads characteristic of specific populations, the demographic structure of regional populations or population segments, the nature of ancient Maya diets, and the implications of skeletal trauma for cultural behaviors such as warfare. First published in 1997 by Smithsonian Institution Press, this work edited by Whittington (director, Museum of Anthropology, Wake Forest U.) and Reed (a research scientist at the U. of Michigan) contains 17 papers describing osteological, dental, and stable isotope studies of buried Maya skeletons. The reprint makes available what the editors view as a work that "remains the most comprehensive book on Maya skeletal studies in terms of regional and topical coverage and the most representative in terms of including osteologists from outside the United States." Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)