Houses in a Landscape

“It is a distinct pleasure to read a book about the pre-Hispanic Maya that does not focus on political history, monumentality, epigraphy, or cosmology. These facets of the Maya world were important, of course, especially with respect to the questions of social memory raised by Julia Hendon in this book. But obviously they were no more important than the everyday experience of the multitudes of people in Mesoamerica. And it is the realm of the quotidian that Hendon relates to social memory in Houses in a Landscape…. There is much to recommend in this book, and both professional archaeologists and students will find in it particularly good examples of the practical applicability of contemporary theories in archaeology.” - Timothy Pauketat, American Anthropologist

“While clearly written, this volume is definitely geared towards a specialised audience ... [and] it would be well suited for graduate or upper division student reading in courses on Mesoamerican archaeology. ... The book does a great job of forcing the archaeologist to rethink the spaces they excavate and to examine how her ideas fit within their own domestic research contexts. It is also significant in that it argues that non-elite spaces such as domestic households are rich environments for understanding the ancient Maya – in many ways, more so than any elaborate tomb or palace, in that it provides insight into how the overwhelming majority of the population lived.” - Jennifer Mathews, Bulletin of Latin American Research

“A brilliant work, Houses in a Landscape sets a new standard for the social archaeology of the Maya and related cultures. It is theoretically sophisticated, meticulously researched, and beautifully written, and it extends the existing literature on memory and archaeology in significant ways. ” - Robert W. Preucel, author of Archaeological Semiotics

“This is an invigorating, original, and intellectually rewarding book, notable for the breadth and critical rigor of Julia A. Hendon’s theoretical discussions, and the originality of her insights to ancient Honduran societies. It will be of interest not only to archaeologists but also to social theorists more broadly.” - Wendy Ashmore, coeditor of Household and Community in the Mesoamerican Past

“[Hendon’s] nuanced analysis is brilliantly crafted, culturally intimate, and immensely provocative. Hendon’s playing field spans a range of objects, features, and monuments that elicit newfound insights into the seeming intangibles of memory in Maya thought and culture. Ultimately, the author delivers the promise and prospect for interpreting community memory, daily life, and the dynamics of intergroup relations via the thoughtful, introspective consideration of objects recovered from cultural landscapes in archaeology. Highly recommended.” - R. G. Mendoza, Choice

“I encourage scholars of the Maya and construction of memory to read Hendon’s attractive and well-presented volume. . . . Overall, Houses in a Landscape is likely to fuel scholarly debate and inspire archaeological projects to test its conclusions for many years to come.” - Stephen L. Whittington, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute