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How the Maya built their world : energetics and ancient architecture / Elliot M. Abrams
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How the Maya built their world : energetics and ancient architecture / Elliot M. Abrams

by Elliot Marc Abrams

An investigation into the labour costs of ancient Maya architecture, applying the theory of architectural energetics to Late Classic residential structures at Copan, Honduras, to analyse social hierarchy and the impact of royal building demands on commoners.

Accession 585 ISBN 0292704623 Publisher University of Texas Press
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Curated Derived
Archaeology Architecture Art Culture Design Economics Engineering Ethnology Geography History Political Science Religion Science Social Sciences Technology Writing
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True
position_updated_at
2026-06-03 17:08
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vertical
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dimensions
none captured
spine_text
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Metadata

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LOCATION HISTORY
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1 week, 1 day ago
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Updated 6 days, 23 hours ago
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How the Maya built their world : energetics and ancient architecture / Elliot M. Abrams
vernon_id
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vernon_slug
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Descriptive

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1994
object_type
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brief_description
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. -- blurb

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Elliot Marc Abrams
tags→ tags
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Topics and Themes