Solid introductory text, 20 Aug 1997
Given the raft of weirdos who over the years have chosen Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) for their subject, it is a welcome addition to have a serious book by a real scientist who has actually excavated at the site for several years. Tiwanaku is a favorite focus for loonies ranging from the Von Daniken "extra terrestrials are responsible for all the great human achievements of the past" school to the New Age mystic Shirley Maclain's Out on a Limb [Out of your mind!] school. While not explicitly addressing the wacko theories, Kolata's book shows how, contrary to their implicit racism, the indigenous people of the Titicaca basin were more than ingenious enough to come up with ways to contruct major monuments, carve incredible fantastic stone sculptures, and make the high arid plain of the altiplano bloom with potatoes, tubers and quinoa. These people had indoor plumbing and public sewage systems 1500 years ago! The Tiwanaku is a bit simplistic and general for the Andean or archaeological specialist; it is more appropriate for the first year University student or educated layman. Nonetheless, it brings together the current general state of knowledge about this important civilization in a highly readable fashion.

Solid introductory text, 20 Aug 1997
Given the raft of weirdos who over the years have chosen Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) for their subject, it is a welcome addition to have a serious book by a real scientist who has actually excavated at the site for several years. Tiwanaku is a favorite focus for loonies ranging from the Von Daniken "extra terrestrials are responsible for all the great human achievements of the past" school to the New Age mystic Shirley Maclain's Out on a Limb [Out of your mind!] school. While not explicitly addressing the wacko theories, Kolata's book shows how, contrary to their implicit racism, the indigenous people of the Titicaca basin were more than ingenious enough to come up with ways to contruct major monuments, carve incredible fantastic stone sculptures, and make the high arid plain of the altiplano bloom with potatoes, tubers and quinoa. These people had indoor plumbing and public sewage systems 1500 years ago! The Tiwanaku is a bit simplistic and general for the Andean or archaeological specialist; it is more appropriate for the first year University student or educated layman. Nonetheless, it brings together the current general state of knowledge about this important civilization in a highly readable fashion.

A brilliant insight in to a fascinating civilization., 18 Jul 2008
Don't let the other review put you off this book. Bawden's book provides an incredibly informative review of a culture that is relatively neglected in terms of available publications. The theories and concepts expressed by Bawden are based on the material culture and archaeological sites that have been found. Accounts of their ritual practices are of particular interest considering the emphasis placed upon ritual within iconography on ceramics and murals. Bawden also introduces different aspects of Moche civilizations- for example, socio-political organization, agriculture, architecture. For those who complain about the lack of definite answers regarding the culture of the Moche, perhaps they should remember that the archaeological discipline is generally not an exact science. Bawden is not overlly subjective or interpretive in his book. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about the Moche.

I really tryed to read this book., 15 Jun 2001
I gave up! As a fan of Mesoamercan and the Incas I wanted to know more, about where the Incas came from ... So I was trying to find well written, clear, enjoyable and interesting book on the subject. Somehow this author doesn't manage that. Meaby the sentence on the second page that included "...are in all likelihood..." just ruined the whole book for me? I'm trying to be fair! But that's just it! Let's admit that I've trouble finding the right English words for this, right -non-English speaker, ... I find the book ... unclear, too much in the air, without reasons for many of it's conclusions. And that really bugs me!

Solid introductory text, 20 Aug 1997
Given the raft of weirdos who over the years have chosen Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) for their subject, it is a welcome addition to have a serious book by a real scientist who has actually excavated at the site for several years. Tiwanaku is a favorite focus for loonies ranging from the Von Daniken "extra terrestrials are responsible for all the great human achievements of the past" school to the New Age mystic Shirley Maclain's Out on a Limb [Out of your mind!] school. While not explicitly addressing the wacko theories, Kolata's book shows how, contrary to their implicit racism, the indigenous people of the Titicaca basin were more than ingenious enough to come up with ways to contruct major monuments, carve incredible fantastic stone sculptures, and make the high arid plain of the altiplano bloom with potatoes, tubers and quinoa. These people had indoor plumbing and public sewage systems 1500 years ago! The Tiwanaku is a bit simplistic and general for the Andean or archaeological specialist; it is more appropriate for the first year University student or educated layman. Nonetheless, it brings together the current general state of knowledge about this important civilization in a highly readable fashion.

A brilliant insight in to a fascinating civilization., 18 Jul 2008
Don't let the other review put you off this book. Bawden's book provides an incredibly informative review of a culture that is relatively neglected in terms of available publications. The theories and concepts expressed by Bawden are based on the material culture and archaeological sites that have been found. Accounts of their ritual practices are of particular interest considering the emphasis placed upon ritual within iconography on ceramics and murals. Bawden also introduces different aspects of Moche civilizations- for example, socio-political organization, agriculture, architecture. For those who complain about the lack of definite answers regarding the culture of the Moche, perhaps they should remember that the archaeological discipline is generally not an exact science. Bawden is not overlly subjective or interpretive in his book. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about the Moche.

I really tryed to read this book., 15 Jun 2001
I gave up! As a fan of Mesoamercan and the Incas I wanted to know more, about where the Incas came from ... So I was trying to find well written, clear, enjoyable and interesting book on the subject. Somehow this author doesn't manage that. Meaby the sentence on the second page that included "...are in all likelihood..." just ruined the whole book for me? I'm trying to be fair! But that's just it! Let's admit that I've trouble finding the right English words for this, right -non-English speaker, ... I find the book ... unclear, too much in the air, without reasons for many of it's conclusions. And that really bugs me!

Well-written but not too dry or scholarly, with great photos, 27 Dec 1998
Developed by four distinguished Mesoamerican scholars for an exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History (1992 - 1993). Great photographs of artifacts (jade masks, human skulls, sculptures), buildings and manuscripts. Well-written (not dry or too scholarly). It's been on my coffee table for years but I never tire of looking at it.

Solid introductory text, 20 Aug 1997
Given the raft of weirdos who over the years have chosen Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) for their subject, it is a welcome addition to have a serious book by a real scientist who has actually excavated at the site for several years. Tiwanaku is a favorite focus for loonies ranging from the Von Daniken "extra terrestrials are responsible for all the great human achievements of the past" school to the New Age mystic Shirley Maclain's Out on a Limb [Out of your mind!] school. While not explicitly addressing the wacko theories, Kolata's book shows how, contrary to their implicit racism, the indigenous people of the Titicaca basin were more than ingenious enough to come up with ways to contruct major monuments, carve incredible fantastic stone sculptures, and make the high arid plain of the altiplano bloom with potatoes, tubers and quinoa. These people had indoor plumbing and public sewage systems 1500 years ago! The Tiwanaku is a bit simplistic and general for the Andean or archaeological specialist; it is more appropriate for the first year University student or educated layman. Nonetheless, it brings together the current general state of knowledge about this important civilization in a highly readable fashion.

A brilliant insight in to a fascinating civilization., 18 Jul 2008
Don't let the other review put you off this book. Bawden's book provides an incredibly informative review of a culture that is relatively neglected in terms of available publications. The theories and concepts expressed by Bawden are based on the material culture and archaeological sites that have been found. Accounts of their ritual practices are of particular interest considering the emphasis placed upon ritual within iconography on ceramics and murals. Bawden also introduces different aspects of Moche civilizations- for example, socio-political organization, agriculture, architecture. For those who complain about the lack of definite answers regarding the culture of the Moche, perhaps they should remember that the archaeological discipline is generally not an exact science. Bawden is not overlly subjective or interpretive in his book. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about the Moche.

I really tryed to read this book., 15 Jun 2001
I gave up! As a fan of Mesoamercan and the Incas I wanted to know more, about where the Incas came from ... So I was trying to find well written, clear, enjoyable and interesting book on the subject. Somehow this author doesn't manage that. Meaby the sentence on the second page that included "...are in all likelihood..." just ruined the whole book for me? I'm trying to be fair! But that's just it! Let's admit that I've trouble finding the right English words for this, right -non-English speaker, ... I find the book ... unclear, too much in the air, without reasons for many of it's conclusions. And that really bugs me!

Well-written but not too dry or scholarly, with great photos, 27 Dec 1998
Developed by four distinguished Mesoamerican scholars for an exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History (1992 - 1993). Great photographs of artifacts (jade masks, human skulls, sculptures), buildings and manuscripts. Well-written (not dry or too scholarly). It's been on my coffee table for years but I never tire of looking at it.

Gill's book is a superb piece of scientific detective work., 18 Feb 2007
Gill's book is a superb piece of scientific detective work, a goldmine of information about many topics ranging from Yucatan geology, Mayan agriculture and hydrology, volcanic activity and the effect on climate and so on.
In recent years there has been a number of breakthroughs in explaining the abandonment of the Mayan cities. In 1995 archaeologist Richardson Benedict Gill used the last dates carved on monuments in cities to identify four periods when the abandonment of Mayan cities occurred in clusters. a.) The PreClassic Abandonment's of 150-200. b.) The Hiatus of 530-590. c.) The major collapses of the Classic period in the 8th and 9th centuries and d.) The Post Classic Abandonments, centred on 1450.

Most of the abandonments had occurred during Classic period. Gill also argued there had been three distinct phases of collapse that ended at 810, 860 and 910.
Gill's deeply researched case was that drought was the cause each time, that the Maya city states were unable to withstand such droughts and that meteorological conditions at that time explained such droughts.

Evidence for drought at the time of the abandonments appeared at the end of the last century from three sediment cores taken from lake Chichancanab in the north of Yucatan and a finely detailed core taken from lake Punta Laguna, also in the Yucatan. Scientists David Hodell, Jason Curtis and Mark Brenner radiocarbon dated organic material embedded in these layers and subjected shell calcium carbonate remains (from millions of minute creatures - ostracods and gastropods - that have lived and died in the waters over the centuries, the remains of which make up the sediment) to oxygen isotope analysis that revealed changes in levels of precipitation etc.

Hodell, Curtis and Brenner found that the Maya region had experienced three major drought episodes: between 475-250 BC, between 125 BC to AD 210 and from 750-1025. The second of these coincides with the PreClassic collapse of El Mirador, the third with the Classic Period collapses. Of the last episode they reported:
"Geochemical analysis of sediments from Lake Chichancanab shows that this period of 800-1,000 was the driest in the region of the middle to late Holocene epoch. i.e. of the past approx. 3,500 years." (Possible role of climate in collapse of Classic Maya civilisation. Hodell et. al., Nature. June. 1995.)

These results showed severe drought episodes in the region and provided accurate dates that matched those for the abandonments. Yet more supporting evidence for droughts came from lakebed cores from lake Satpten in the Maya lowlands of Guatemala, Lago de Patzcuaro in the central Mexican highlands, Laguna de Cocos in N. Belize, Laguna Pallcacocha in SW Ecuador, and a seabed core from the Cariaco basin in the SE Caribbean.

Gerald Haug's Cariaco basin team recovered and analysed a high resolution core containing the layers of silt discharged by rivers (and levels of titanium that come only from river borne materials) that showed periods of heavy and light river discharge. These correspond with periods of heavy and slight rainfall and not only provided additional evidence for periods of drought. Analysis also provided much more exact dates.

Huag's team identified three periods of severe multi year droughts centred on 760, 810, 860 and 910. The last three were exactly the same dates for the Classic abandonments that Gill had proposed. (Does Climate Make History? Climate and the Decay of the Maya Culture. Haug et al. Science. 2003.)

Huag noted three phases to the collapse. In the first phase the western lowlands were hardest hit, Tikal lost around 90% of its population at this time, it was completely abandoned by 890-910. Phase two saw the abandonments in the south eastern lowlands. Finally the remaining cities in the central lowlands and in north Yucatan were abandoned. The only places where people survived were where there was a shallower water table and water could still be obtained from deep lakes, caves and sinkholes. By 910 the remaining cities also had gone from a centralised state to a few peasant subsistence farmers, possibly organised into chiefdoms.
This drought decimated the Maya population to such an extent that no bulding work was undertaken for 300 years; when the cities did show signs of resurgence, in some cases it may have been because of migrants into the area taking up residence in them and starting anew.

It's now also know that the droughts of the 8th and 9th centuries also extended up across Mexico into Arizona and New Mexico and also caused disruption and death across this entire part of the Americas.

Anyone with an interest in the Maya, the effect of climate on human history or the natural sciences should read this book. It's so good I borrowed it from a library, then went and bought it for reference. I suggest you read chapters 12 & 13 first (the summary and conclusions), then start at the beginning to go through the immense detail.