{"product_id":"the-value-of-things-jennifer-p-mathews-9780816555376","title":"The Value of Things: Prehistoric to Contemporary Commodities in the Maya Region","description":"\u003cp\u003e Jade, stone tools, honey and wax, ceramics, rum, land. What gave these commodities value in the Maya world, and how were those values determined? What factors influenced the rise and fall of a commodity's value? \u003ci\u003eThe Value of Things \u003c\/i\u003eexamines the social and ritual value of commodities in Mesoamerica, providing a new and dynamic temporal view of the roles of trade of commodities and elite goods from the prehistoric Maya to the present. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Editors Jennifer P. Mathews and Thomas H. Guderjan begin the volume with a review of the theoretical literature related to the \"value of things.\" Throughout the volume, well-known scholars offer chapters that examine the value of specific commodities in a broad time frame--from prehistoric, colonial, and historic times to the present. Using cases from the Maya world on both the local level and the macro-regional, contributors look at jade, agricultural products (ancient and contemporary), stone tools, salt, cacao (chocolate), honey and wax, henequen, sugarcane and rum, land, ceramic (ancient and contemporary), and contemporary tourist handicrafts. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Each chapter author looks into what made their specific commodity valuable to ancient, historic, and contemporary peoples in the Maya region. Often a commodity's worth goes far beyond its financial value; indeed, in some cases, it may not even be viewed as something that can be sold. Other themes include the rise and fall in commodity values based on perceived need, rarity or overproduction, and change in available raw materials; the domestic labor side of commodities, including daily life of the laborers; and relationships between elites and nonelites in production. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Examining, explaining, and theorizing how people ascribe value to what they trade, this scholarly volume provides a rich look at local and regional Maya case studies through centuries of time. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Contributors: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Rani T. Alexander \u003cbr\u003e Dean E. Arnold \u003cbr\u003e Timothy Beach \u003cbr\u003e Briana Bianco \u003cbr\u003e Steven Bozarth \u003cbr\u003e Tiffany C. Cain \u003cbr\u003e Scott L. Fedick \u003cbr\u003e Thomas H. Guderjan \u003cbr\u003e John Gust \u003cbr\u003e Eleanor Harrison-Buck \u003cbr\u003e Brigitte Kovacevich \u003cbr\u003e Samantha Krause \u003cbr\u003e Joshua J. Kwoka \u003cbr\u003e Richard M. Leventhal \u003cbr\u003e Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach \u003cbr\u003e Jennifer P. Mathews \u003cbr\u003e Heather McKillop \u003cbr\u003e Allan D. Meyers \u003cbr\u003e Gary Rayson \u003cbr\u003e Mary Katherine Scott \u003cbr\u003e E. Cory Sills \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jennifer P. Mathews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0816555370\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780816555376\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Arizona Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback","brand":"Jennifer P. Mathews","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46838473097471,"sku":"9780816555376","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_31ab7060-2efb-4a2d-89d6-42ddfb2af125.jpg?v=1746589940","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-value-of-things-jennifer-p-mathews-9780816555376","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}