| Description |
1 online resource (xiii, 176 pages) : illustrations |
| Contents |
1. Introduction -- 2. Background to Architectural Energetics at Copan -- 3. Maya Architectural Forms -- 4. The Energetics of Construction -- 5. Costs and the Construction Process -- 6. Energetics and the Hierarchy of Social Power -- 7. The Organization of Construction Labor -- 8. Architecture and Economics -- 9. Conclusions -- Appendix A. Costs per Task per Structure -- Appendix B. Reuse Savings |
| Summary |
Maya architecture is often described as "massive" and "monumental," but experiments at Copan, Honduras, convinced Elliot Abrams that 300 people could have built one of the large palaces there in only 100 days. In this groundbreaking work, Abrams explicates his theory of architectural energetics, which involves translating structures into volumes of raw and manufactured materials that are then multiplied by the time required for their production and assembly to determine the labor costs of past construction efforts. Applying this method to residential structures of the Late Classic period (A.D. 700-900) at Copan leads Abrams to posit a six-tiered hierarchic social structure of political decision making, ranging from a stratified elite to low-ranking commoners. By comparing the labor costs of construction and other economic activities, he also prompts a reconsideration of the effects of royal construction demands on commoners |
| Analysis |
City planning Honduras |
|
Copán Site (Honduras) |
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Honduras Antiquities |
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Maya architecture |
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Mayas Antiquities |
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Mayas Urban residence |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-168) and index |
| Notes |
Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL |
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English |
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digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL |
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Print version record |
| In |
Project MUSE Evidence Based Acquisitions (EBA) Project MUSE |
| Subject |
Maya architecture.
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City planning -- Honduras
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Urban Mayas
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Mayas -- Antiquities.
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BUSINESS & ECONOMICS -- Industries -- General.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Archaeology.
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Antiquities
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City planning
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Maya architecture
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Mayas -- Antiquities
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Urban Mayas
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Ausgrabung
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Architektur
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Stadtplanung
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Mayas -- Antiquités.
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Mayas -- Résidences et lieux familiers.
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Architecture maya.
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Mayas -- Urbanisme.
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| SUBJECT |
Copán Site (Honduras) http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85032255
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Honduras -- Antiquities.
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85061821
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| Subject |
Honduras
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Honduras -- Copán Site
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Honduras -- Antiquités.
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Copán (Honduras ; site archéologique)
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Maya.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| LC no. |
93047995 |
| ISBN |
9780292730144 |
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0292730144 |
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