This is the fourth in a series of volumes that make available the primary data and interpretative studies originally produced by archaeologists and anthropologists in the Maya region under the umbrella of the Carnegie Institute of Washington's Division of Historical Research. Collected together here are the "Theoretical Approaches to Problems" papers, a series that published preliminary conclusions to advance thought processes and stimulate debate.

Although two of the three theories published in these reports have since been proven wrong, the theories themselves remain significant because of their impact on the direction of archaeology. Only a few sets of these three contributions to the "Theoretical Approaches to Problems" series are known to have survived, making "The Carnegie Maya IV" an essential reference and research resource.

The corresponding ebook contains the complete set of "The Carnegie Maya", "The Carnegie Maya II", "The Carnegie Maya III", and "The Carnegie Maya IV", thus making hundreds of documents from the Carnegie Institution's Maya program available in one source.