Stone of Kings

Long prized as one of the most precious substances on earth, jade has been used to adorn kings, cure disease, and perform sacred rituals, including human sacrifice. For millennia, it played a crucial role in the culture of the Maya and other ancient Americans, who treasured it above all things. But the Spanish lusted after gold and silver, and within fifty years of the Conquest, the sources of Maya jade had been forgotten. Centuries later, archaeologists excavating Maya cities uncovered stunning jades carved with the images of gods and kings, evoking all the mystery and power of a bygone civilization. But where had the stone come from? Some guessed China, others Atlantis-but no one could say for sure, because for the only time in history, a civilization's most valuable resource had been lost. This is the story of the gripping, 400-year search for the lost sources of this precious stone. A vivid tale of great rulers, renowned archaeologists, gifted scientists, unlettered prospectors, and hopeful entrepreneurs, Stone of Kings melds history, popular science, and armchair travel into a real-life, high-stakes treasure hunt for the astonishing Maya jade.

Gerard Helferich is the author of the widely praised Humboldt's Cosmos, which was a Discover magazine Science Bestseller; and High Cotton, which received the 2008 Authors Award for nonfiction from the Mississippi Library Association.