3 Review(s)

A thousand years ago, the ComitAn Valley, in the Mexican state of Chiapas, was the western edge of the Maya world. Far from the famous power centers of the Classic period, the valley has been neglected even by specialists. Here, Caitlin C. Earley offers the first comprehensive study of sculpture excavated from the area, showcasing the sophistication and cultural vigor of a region that has largely been ignored. Supported by the rulers of the valley's cities, local artists created inventive works that served to construct civic identities. In their depictions of warrior kings, ballgames, rituals, and ancestors, the artists of ComitAn made choices that reflected political and religious goals and distinguished the artistic production of the ComitAn Valley from that of other Maya locales. After the Maya abandoned their powerful lowland centers, those in ComitAn were maintained, a distinction from which Earley draws new insights concerning the Maya collapse. Richly illustrated with never-before-published photographs of sculptures unearthed from key archaeological sites, The ComitAn Valley is an illuminating work of art historical recovery and interpretation.