Maya Explorer

The exciting biography of John Lloyd Stephens, the father of American archaeology. In his extraordinary journeys to the Yucatan and Central America more than 150 years ago, John Lloyd Stephens uncovered the ruins of an entire culture-- at that time, a civilization without a name or documented history. His books, including Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, yielded the first glimpses of such wondrous ancient centers as Copan, Chichen Itza, Palenque, and Tulum. Also a lawyer, diplomat, and builder of a railroad across Panama, Stephens was a true adventurer whose exploits had been all but forgotten until Victor von Hagen published this compelling biography in 1948. His narrative is enriched with Stephen's own accounts of his discoveries and the superb illustrations of Frederick Catherwood, the artist who traveled with Stephens.