Paper short abstract:

This paper provides a summary account of research conducted in recent decades on the origins of Maya civilization and suggests topics to be considered by the next generation of scholarship.

Paper long abstract:

In focusing on the Preclassic period and on the archaeological research of the last thirty years, two central themes arise: a greater understanding of the environmental setting for the evolution of Maya civilization, and a more informed understanding of Maya ritual culture brought about by recent archaeological work and by advances in iconography and epigraphy. This paper examines these contributions with an eye toward future directions of research.