2012

"2012 - Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya", is a full-color, 172-page book inspired by Maya inscriptions, astronomical knowledge, math, and myth. Responding to the upsurge in interest in "the Maya prophecies", Prof. Mark Van Stone has spent the last several years researching What the Ancient Maya Actually Said about 2012. The result is based entirely on science, archaeology, decipherment, and Precolumbian art. (No channeling of ancient priests! No Planet X!) To make this arcane material as accessible as possible, he examines aspects of the phenomenon in 38 short, digestible essays, which one can read in any order. It is eminently browsable. It is also dense with information: Dr. Van Stone does not "dumb down" information to reach some imaginary least common denominator. It is also visually appealing; the only art book on the subject...A Biographical blurb: Professor Mark Van Stone has spent his entire life studying the art and history of written forms. He started 40 years ago with Celtic manuscripts such as the 7th/8th- century Books of Kells and Lindisfarne. Progressing to Roman and Greek inscriptions, and to Egyptian hieroglyphs, he later lived in Japan, studying netsuke carving and calligraphy. Finally receiving his Ph.D. in Maya Hieroglyphs in 2005, Dr. Van Stone combines a rare general understanding of all ancient scripts with an even rarer ability to *write* them, not just read them. Long before receiving the doctorate in Maya Hieroglyphs, Mark earned his Bachelor's Degree in Physics and worked for a few years at the Gamma-Ray Astronomy laboratory at the University of New Hampshire's Space Science Center (1973-77). His background uniquely qualifies him to discuss both Maya astronomy and their hieroglyphs. He presently holds the post of Professor of Art History at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California. Mark is also co-author (with Dr. Michael Coe) of *Reading the Maya Glyphs*, the finest introductory book on the subject.