History of the Americas: pre-contacts Books

Book SynopsisUp until very recently it was believed that in 1491, the year before Columbus landed, the Americas, one-third of the earth's surface, were a near-pristine wilderness inhabited by small roaming bands of indigenous people. But recently unexpected discoveries have dramatically changed our understanding of Indian life. Many scholars now argue that the Indians were much more numerous, were in the Americas for far longer and had far more ecological impact on the land than previously believed. This knowledge has enormous implications for today's environmental disputes, yet little has filtered into textbooks and even less into public awareness. Mann brings together all of the latest research, and the results of his own travels throughout North and South America, to provide a new, fascinating and iconoclastic account of the Americas before Columbus.Trade ReviewBrilliantly insightful and unsettling book -- Paul Muldoon * Times Literary Supplement *A brilliant and startling exploration of the largely unrecognised great prehistoric cultures of the Americas * Popular Science Review *Mann rewrites the history of the new world before Columbus. It should be compulsory reading for anyone teaching the history of the Americas * Tribune *A well-researched and racily written new book ... There are few better introductory books on the civilisations of pre-Columbian America, and none so up-to-date * Spectator *An immensely valuable book to anyone interested in agriculture and ecology as well as history and archeology. It is also rich in gossip about academic squabbles * Morning Star *Table of ContentsList of maps Preface Introduction / Holmberg's Mistake 1. A View from Above Part One Numbers from Nowhere? 2. Why Billington Survived 3. In the Land of Four Quarters 4. Frequently Asked Questions Part Two Very Old Bones 5. Pleistocene Wars 6. Cotton (or Anchovies) and Maise (Tales of Two Civilizations, part I) 7. Writing, Wheels, and Bucket Brigades (Tales of Two Civilizations, part II) Part Three Landscape with Figures 8. Made in America 9. Amazonia 10. The Artificial Wilderness Coda 11. The Great Law of Peace Appendixes A. Loaded Words B. Talking Knots C. They Syphillis Exception D. Calendar Math Acknowledgements Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the first recorded encounters with the native inhabitants of the Canary Islands in 1341 to Columbus' explorations in 1492 and Cabral's discovery of Brazil in 1500, western Europeans struggled to make sense of the existence of the people they met. This book explores the social lives of the inhabitants.Trade Review"'With equal skills as scholar and story-teller, David Abulafia gets to the heart of a subject that matters to today's world: how our understanding of human nature began to emerge in the late medieval Atlantic, where each new encounter between previously unfamiliar peoples and cultures challenged and transformed existing notions. No other book covers the subject so thoroughly or approaches it with such brilliance.' Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Tufts University 'David Abulafia's masterful study reorients our understanding of the age of Columbus. His meticulous research takes us to the Canary Islands, the Caribbean, and Brazil and puts the European 'discovery' of the Americas into an Atlantic context where it belongs. With extraordinary erudition and sophistication he shows us how the encounter with the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere shaped early modern European culture.' Peter Mancall, University of Southern California"

Read more less

Book SynopsisWeaving the Past offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary history of Latin America''s indigenous women. While the book concentrates on native women in Mesoamerica and the Andes, it covers indigenous people in other parts of South and Central America, including lowland peoples in and beyond Brazil, and Afro-indigenous peoples, such as the Garifuna, of Central America. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, it argues that change, not continuity, has been the norm for indigenous peoples whose resilience in the face of complex and long-term patterns of cultural change is due in no small part to the roles, actions, and agency of women. The book provides broad coverage of gender roles in native Latin America over many centuries, drawing upon a range of evidence from archaeology, anthropology, religion, and politics. Primary and secondary sources include chronicles, codices, newspaper articles, and monographic work on specific regions. Arguing that Latin America''s indigenous women werTrade Review...this is an important compilation and makes an admirable attempt to build and go beyond the particularity so often emphasised in ethnographic case studies. * Fiona Wilson, Latin American Studies, Vol. 39 *...a well-researched[,] detailed...[and] interesting study...of interest to both students of history, gender, and cultural anthropology. * Susan M. Socolow, Hispanic American Historical Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince its violent dissolution in 1521, the Aztec Empire of Mexico has continually intrigued us. Recent discoveries resulting from the excavation of the Templo Mayor in the heart of Mexico City have taught us even more about this fascinating culture. The increasing recognition that the achievements of Mesoamerican civilizations were among the most sophisticated of the ancient world has led to a demand for introductions to the basic methods and theories of scholars working throughout the region. Handbook to Life in the Aztec World gathers the results from recent archaeological discoveries and scholarly research into a single accessible volume. Organized thematically, the handbook covers all aspects of life in the Aztec world: Mesoamerican civilizations and Aztec archeology; evolution of Aztec civilization; geography of the Aztec world; society and government; religion, cosmology, and mythology; funerary beliefs and customs; Aztec art; Aztec architecture; Nahuatl literature; the calendar, astronomy, and mathematics; economy, industry, and trade; daily life; the Aztec after conquest and today. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, and more than 165 original line drawings, photographs, and maps complement the text. Handbook to Life in the Aztec World provides all the essential information required by anyone interested in Aztec history or culture.Table of ContentsLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; LIST OF MAPS; LIST OF TABLES; FOREWORD; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING OF NAHUATL TERMS; MAIN MUSEUMS CONTAINING AZTEC COLLECTIONS; AZTEC POEMS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sweeping account of Medieval North America when Indigenous peoples confronted climate change.Few Americans today are aware of one of the most consequential periods in North American history--the Medieval Warm Period of seven to twelve centuries ago (AD 800-1300 CE)--which resulted in the warmest temperatures in the northern hemisphere since the Roman Warm Period, a half millennium earlier. Reconstructing these climatic events and the cultural transformations they wrought, Timothy Pauketat guides readers down ancient American paths walked by Indigenous people a millennium ago, some trod by Spanish conquistadors just a few centuries later. The book follows the footsteps of priests, pilgrims, traders, and farmers who took great journeys, made remarkable pilgrimages, and migrated long distances to new lands.Along the way, readers will discover a new history of a continent that, like today, was being shaped by climate change--or controlled by ancient gods of wind and water. Through such eTrade ReviewReaders interested in pre-Columbian North America will be enlightened by this bold study. * Publishers Weekly *A grand narrative of the thousand years in North America before Columbus. Blends Native accounts and cosmologies, and archaeology, and ethnohistory. A landmark for the deep history of our continent * Stephen H. Lekson, University of Colorado *This remarkable work of synthesis demonstrates the power of archaeological research in bringing to light key social and ecological transformations in North America, between 800 and 1300 AD; the results are truly staggering and place the contemporaneous history of medieval Eurasia in an entirely new perspective. * David Wengrow, Institute of Archaeology, University College London *Pauketat offers a complex and extraordinarily rich narrative detailing how Indigenous peoples of ancient America celebrated and ritualized water as a response to climate change. He entangles seemingly disparate peoples of ancient North and Central America by making climatic events and processes - such as the evapotranspiration cycle and the Medieval Warm Period - as key actors in the histories of the ancient Maya, Aztec, and Mississippian peoples. And by exploring these processes within the ontological dimensions of Indigenous experience, Pauketat masterfully demonstrates the intersections of spirituality and science, or what contemporary Indigenous peoples describe as traditional ecological knowledge. In doing so, he makes clear that the language of water rights and movements such as Mní Wičhóni (Water is Life) have a much deeper past in which climate history has always been human history. * Patrick Bottiger, Kenyon College *Finally, after decades of sidestepping by archaeologists, Pauketat has finally brought to light the question of interaction between Mesoamerica and the American Bottom city of Cahokia. Even at present, extensive research in archaeology is focused on the ties between Northwest Mexico and the American Southwest, while we have been waiting for someone to break the ice on the fundamental problem of Mesoamerica's possible connections beyond its northeastern frontier. Pauketat takes the reader on a personal journey as he delves into this perplexing inquiry with a sharp mind that arrives at fascinating insights and conclusions. * Peter F. Jimenez, author of The Mesoamerican World System, 200-1200 CE *The book is a rich assemblage of sources and stories, giving a vivid impression of the ritual practices of 'Medieval America' and beyond and brings forth many thought-provoking ideas. * Antiquity *The author and Oxford University Press should be commended for broadening our methodological approach to North American ancient cultures and history with this volume. * Minerva Magazine *This volume will be valuable for archaeologists and their students involved in the study of the effects of climate change on the prehistory of North America. * Choice *This accessible and well-written travelogue boldly frames the hypothesis that late medieval Indigenous eastern North Americans embraced rain-bringing wind gods, originally conceived in Mesoamerica, along with maize agriculture. * American Antiquity *Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Preface 1. Temples of Wind and Rain 2. Lost in Ancient America 3. Dark Secrets of the Crystal Maiden 4. Mesoamerican Cults and Cities 5. Across the Chichimec Sea 6. Ballcourts at Snaketown 7. A Place Beyond the Horizon 8. The Other Corn Road 9. Paddling North 10. Legacies of Thunderers 11. First Medicine 12. The Wind in the Shell Further Reading Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this collection of essays, historians, anthropologists and historical demographers discuss the population estimates for the New World before and after the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Topics such as the Indian slave trade, disease and military action are covered.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlfred Vincent Kidder's "Introduction to the Study of Southwestern Archaeology" was the first regional synthesis and summary of Peublo archaeology. It is a guide to historic and prehistoric sites of the Southwest as well as a preliminary account of Kidder's exemplary excavation at Pecos.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA feat of historical detectiom - the most significant, and certainly the most enthralling, book on American prehistory to appear in decades.Trade Review'And adventure story, a history, and a cultural analysis all wrapped in exceptional writing.' - Pete Warzel, Rocky Mountain News 'Craig Childs succees in translating a good hunk of Southwestern archaeology while providing us with the kind of inductive visceral experience he does better than any other naturalist.' - Katharine Niles, Denver Post 'Childs excites the imagination and creates a haunting portrait of a people and a way of life that will last long after the reading is finished.' - Clay Reynolds, Dallas Morning News

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis authoritative volume has been revised throughout and expanded, with stunning new images and accounts of the major discoveries of recent years. Recent findings have been added to expand our understanding of the Olmecs outside of their heartland, and new research on the legacy of the Maya offers a wider and more cohesive narrative of Mexico's history. New co-author Javier Urcid has added greater coverage of Oaxaca and of Monté Alban, one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica and the center of the Zapotec civilization, and a fully revised Epilogue discusses the survival of indigenous populations in Mexico from the Conquest up to the present. This longstanding classic now features full-colour photos of the vibrant art and architecture of ancient Mesoamerica throughout.Trade Review'Fascinating reading ... an accessible, informed and extremely well-illustrated introductory book' - Popular Archaeology'Packed with interesting detail, it is a superb introduction to a fascinating piece of history, and a valuable synthesis of the latest research in this field ... An absorbing read' - Current World Archaeology

Read more less

Book SynopsisBefore Columbus's fateful voyage in 1492, no European had ever seen, much less tasted, tobacco or chocolate. Initially dismissed as dry leaves and an odd Indian drink, these two commodities came to conquer Europe. This book explores that process.Trade ReviewSacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures shows how the exchange between alien civilizations prefigured a revolution in taste that was both genuinely global and largely independent of the power dynamics of colonialism.... Norton creatively uses a wide range of sources, from Mayan artwork to early modern medical manuals to Inquisition records, to show how two frequently consumed substances were integrated into European consciousness and diet. -- Gabriel Paquette * Times Literary Supplement *In documenting the reception of chocolate and tobacco among Europeans, Norton gives particular emphasis to the social nature of consumption. Both products were intimately tied with indigenous rituals, although tobacco came to be viewed in a more negative light as diabolically inspired, while chocolate, the drink of indigenous lords, was associated with the emerging image of the noble savage. And it was through social interactions that Europeans acquired these cultural practices, notwithstanding their pagan connotations. -- Jeffrey M. Pilcher * The Americas *Norton eloquently describes the 'contact zones' in the New World where chocolate was consumed, as in marriage celebrations, village markets, and in religious establishments, while also discussing the sixteenth-century worries about persistent Indian idolatry or religious backsliding from conversion that set the scene for theological directives against European use of tobacco and chocolate. She is on still firmer ground in assigning to early Spanish-native encounters the origin of what was to become a lasting trope among Europeans: tobacco's association with barbarism, chocolate's with effete civilization, and both with diabolism. The most interesting and sharply drawn parts of the study, in fact, deal with the sensual mythology and medical appreciations of these New World products—with the history of European perceptions of them, in other words.... The book realizes its broad ambition to portray the European romance with tobacco and chocolate both in the New World and the Old, and to do it in an eloquent and sophisticated way. -- Eric Van Young * International History Review *Rarely does religious history figure as prominently in a study of commodity culture as it does in Marcy Norton's Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures. The very title points to the central paradox at the heart of this book: tobacco and chocolate were used in Amerindian societies for primarily religious purposes before their contact with the Spanish and other European empires, but over the three centuries following first contact between the old world and the new, tobacco and chocolate came to be commodities that could be consumed as secularized luxury products. Norton's deeply researched and insightful work offers a salutary reminder that the Spanish and Portuguese empires were the first to encounter and assimilate exotic commodities such as tobacco and chocolate into their consumption repertoires. -- Brian Cowan * Journal of American History *Three days after setting foot on the island of Guanahani, Christopher Columbus noticed that the natives seemed to hold certain dried leaves in high esteem. A few days later his shipmates reported that men and women walked about with a 'smoking tube' to take in a fragrant aroma they were apparently fond of. Another exotic New World commodity was rather more dramatically introduced by the conqueror Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who was present at the famous dinner in the still intact Aztec capital Tenochtitlín in 1519, where 'beautiful and clean' women served Moctezuma and his entourage 'fifty large jars of foaming cacao.' The rest, as Marcy Norton shows in her superior and fascinating book, is history. Although framed within a clear understanding of political economy, Norton's study is fundamentally concerned with the cultural dimensions of her commodities. The book seeks to explain why tobacco and chocolate, shunned by Europeans for most of the first century following Columbus's landfall, subsequently became so enthusiastically accepted. Few other writers have probed so deeply and gracefully into the cultural explanations for consumption in Latin America and the world; and no one, I believe, has employed such a range of archival evidence, a most impressive bibliography in several languages, and adroitly chosen ancient images and illustrations. Finally, Norton presents her exhaustive argument (without exhausting the reader) in lucid and polished prose. -- Arnold Bauer * American Historical Review *What does it really mean to consume tobacco or chocolate? The question should be central to recent historians' interest in consumption and the world of goods. Yet most of us attempt to answer by describing how or why an item was consumed. If it is a psychoactive substance like tobacco or chocolate, the answer will often dwell on its biological effects. Marcy Norton, in this ambitious and impressive book, also tries to locate these goods in the conceptual frameworks of the cultures that consumed them. Her history of tobacco and chocolate in the Atlantic world, from the Spanish encounter through the seventeenth century, provides a fascinating model of how historians can look at and listen to consumption. -- Tom Brennan * Journal of Social History *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Experiencing the Sacred and the Social 2. Encountering Novelties 3. Adapting under Colonialism 4. Going Native 5. Learning from Indians 6. Enduring Idolatry 7. Commodifying across the Atlantic 8. Consuming Rituals 9. Monopolizing Vice 10. Enchanting the Profane Epilogue: Globalization, Gateways, and TransformationsNotes Glossary Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBefore Columbus's fateful voyage in 1492, no European had ever seen, much less tasted, tobacco or chocolate. Initially dismissed as dry leaves and an odd Indian drink, these two commodities came to conquer Europe. This book explores that process.Trade ReviewSacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures shows how the exchange between alien civilizations prefigured a revolution in taste that was both genuinely global and largely independent of the power dynamics of colonialism.... Norton creatively uses a wide range of sources, from Mayan artwork to early modern medical manuals to Inquisition records, to show how two frequently consumed substances were integrated into European consciousness and diet. -- Gabriel Paquette * Times Literary Supplement *In documenting the reception of chocolate and tobacco among Europeans, Norton gives particular emphasis to the social nature of consumption. Both products were intimately tied with indigenous rituals, although tobacco came to be viewed in a more negative light as diabolically inspired, while chocolate, the drink of indigenous lords, was associated with the emerging image of the noble savage. And it was through social interactions that Europeans acquired these cultural practices, notwithstanding their pagan connotations. -- Jeffrey M. Pilcher * The Americas *Norton eloquently describes the 'contact zones' in the New World where chocolate was consumed, as in marriage celebrations, village markets, and in religious establishments, while also discussing the sixteenth-century worries about persistent Indian idolatry or religious backsliding from conversion that set the scene for theological directives against European use of tobacco and chocolate. She is on still firmer ground in assigning to early Spanish-native encounters the origin of what was to become a lasting trope among Europeans: tobacco's association with barbarism, chocolate's with effete civilization, and both with diabolism. The most interesting and sharply drawn parts of the study, in fact, deal with the sensual mythology and medical appreciations of these New World products—with the history of European perceptions of them, in other words.... The book realizes its broad ambition to portray the European romance with tobacco and chocolate both in the New World and the Old, and to do it in an eloquent and sophisticated way. -- Eric Van Young * International History Review *Rarely does religious history figure as prominently in a study of commodity culture as it does in Marcy Norton's Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures. The very title points to the central paradox at the heart of this book: tobacco and chocolate were used in Amerindian societies for primarily religious purposes before their contact with the Spanish and other European empires, but over the three centuries following first contact between the old world and the new, tobacco and chocolate came to be commodities that could be consumed as secularized luxury products. Norton's deeply researched and insightful work offers a salutary reminder that the Spanish and Portuguese empires were the first to encounter and assimilate exotic commodities such as tobacco and chocolate into their consumption repertoires. -- Brian Cowan * Journal of American History *Three days after setting foot on the island of Guanahani, Christopher Columbus noticed that the natives seemed to hold certain dried leaves in high esteem. A few days later his shipmates reported that men and women walked about with a 'smoking tube' to take in a fragrant aroma they were apparently fond of. Another exotic New World commodity was rather more dramatically introduced by the conqueror Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who was present at the famous dinner in the still intact Aztec capital Tenochtitlín in 1519, where 'beautiful and clean' women served Moctezuma and his entourage 'fifty large jars of foaming cacao.' The rest, as Marcy Norton shows in her superior and fascinating book, is history. Although framed within a clear understanding of political economy, Norton's study is fundamentally concerned with the cultural dimensions of her commodities. The book seeks to explain why tobacco and chocolate, shunned by Europeans for most of the first century following Columbus's landfall, subsequently became so enthusiastically accepted. Few other writers have probed so deeply and gracefully into the cultural explanations for consumption in Latin America and the world; and no one, I believe, has employed such a range of archival evidence, a most impressive bibliography in several languages, and adroitly chosen ancient images and illustrations. Finally, Norton presents her exhaustive argument (without exhausting the reader) in lucid and polished prose. -- Arnold Bauer * American Historical Review *What does it really mean to consume tobacco or chocolate? The question should be central to recent historians' interest in consumption and the world of goods. Yet most of us attempt to answer by describing how or why an item was consumed. If it is a psychoactive substance like tobacco or chocolate, the answer will often dwell on its biological effects. Marcy Norton, in this ambitious and impressive book, also tries to locate these goods in the conceptual frameworks of the cultures that consumed them. Her history of tobacco and chocolate in the Atlantic world, from the Spanish encounter through the seventeenth century, provides a fascinating model of how historians can look at and listen to consumption. -- Tom Brennan * Journal of Social History *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Experiencing the Sacred and the Social 2. Encountering Novelties 3. Adapting under Colonialism 4. Going Native 5. Learning from Indians 6. Enduring Idolatry 7. Commodifying across the Atlantic 8. Consuming Rituals 9. Monopolizing Vice 10. Enchanting the Profane Epilogue: Globalization, Gateways, and TransformationsNotes Glossary Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis work provides a comprehensive study of the art of Teotihuacan, including architecture, sculpture, mural painting and ceramics. Combining the art with those of other ancient civilizations, the author demonstrates how they created and reflected the community's ideals.

Read more less

Book SynopsisReassesses the ancient Indigenous McKeithen site in northern Florida in light of new data, analyses, and theories.Trade Review“This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and exceptional work. There is so much richness here in terms of the discussion of ideology, costly signaling, schizmogenesis, and so on, and the weaving together of these topics is done masterfully. It will be a must-read because it answers a call from researchers to focus more on the role of ideology and social practices in culture change and understanding the archaeological record.” - Philip Carr, coeditor of Investigating the Ordinary: Everyday Matters in Southeast Archaeology

Read more less

Book SynopsisTopiltzin Quetzalcoatl: The Once and Future Lord of the Toltecs is the most comprehensive survey and discussion of primary documentary sources and relevant archaeological evidence available about the most enigmatic figure of ancient Mesoamerica.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe disagreements about Early Formative society that have raged over the past thirty years focus on the nature of inter-regional interaction. Rosenswig evaluates these debates from a fresh theoretical perspective, integrating new data into an assessment of Soconusco society before, during, and after the apogee of the San Lorenzo polity.Trade Review'Rosenswig documents his refreshing approach with important studies of ceramics, figurines, obsidian, and iconography … His compelling, innovative assessment is distinct from other significant works.' ChoiceTable of ContentsPart I. An Early Formative Mesoamerican Problem: 1. Introduction; 2. Knowledge in an archipelago of complexity; 3. Mesoamerica's first style horizons and the 'Olmec problem'; Part II. Archaeological Data: 4. Settlement patterns and architecture; 5. Diet, food processing and feasting; 6. Representations and aesthetics; 7. Inter-regional exchange patterns; Part III. Deriving Meaning from the Archaeological Record: 8. Data and expectations; 9. Conclusions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe archaeological sites of Mexico''s Yucatan peninsula are among the most visited ancient cities of the Americas. Archaeologists have recently made great advances in our understanding of the social and political milieu of the northern Maya lowlands. However, such advances have been under-represented in both scholarly and popular literature until now. ''The Ancient Maya of Mexico'' presents the results of new and important archaeological, epigraphic, and art historical research in the Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. Ranging across the Middle Preclassic to the Modern periods, the volume explores how new archaeological data has transformed our understanding of Maya history. ''The Ancient Maya of Mexico'' will be invaluable to students and scholars of archaeology and anthropology, and all those interested in the society, rituals and economic organisation of the Maya region.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Reinterpreting the Past of the Northern Maya Lowlands Geoffrey E. Braswell Chapter 2. The Middle Preclassic Ballgame: Yucatan and Beyond David Anderson (Tulane University) Chapter 3. The Architecture of Power and Sociopolitical Complexity in Northwestern Yucatan during the Preclassic Period Nancy Peniche May (University of California, San Diego) Chapter 4. Maya Political Cycling and the Story of the Kaan Polity Joyce Marcus (University of Michigan) Chapter 5. Early Classic Integrations in the Northern Lowlands Scott R. Hutson (University of Kentucky) Chapter 6. The Political and Economic Organization of Late Classic States in the Penninsular Gulf Coast: the View from Champoton, Campeche Jerald Ek (State University of New York at Albany) Chapter 7. 5,000 Sites and Counting: The Inspiration of Maya Settlement Studies in 2010 Walter R. T. Witschey (Longwood University) and Clifford T. Brown (Florida Atlantic University) Chapter 8. The Reality and Role of Popol Nas in Northern Maya Archaeology George Bey (Millsaps College) and Rossana May Ciau (INAH Yucatan, Merida) Chapter 9. The Nunnery Quadrangle of Uxmal. William M. Ringle (Davidson College) Chapter 10. In the Shadow of the Pyramid: Excavations of the Great Platform of Chichen Itza Geoffrey E. Braswell Chapter 11. Divide and Rule: Interpreting Site Perimeter Walls in the Northern Maya Lowlands and Beyond Lauren D. Hahn (University of California, San Diego) Chapter 12. Rain and Fertility Rituals in Postclassic Yucatan Featuring Chaak and Chak Chel Gabrielle Vail (New College of Florida) and Christine Hernandez (Tulane University) Chapter 13. Poor Mayapan Clifford Brown, April Watson (Florida Atlantic University), Ashley Gravlin-Bernan (Florida Atlantic University), and Larry Liebovitch (Queens College) Chapter 14. Maya Collapse or Resilience? Lessons from the Spanish Conquest and the Caste War of Yucatan Rani T. Alexander (New Mexico State University) Chapter 15. Yucatan at the Crossroads Joyce Marcus

Read more less

Book SynopsisAncient Rome and Modern America explores the vital role the narratives and images of Rome have played in America's understanding of itself and its history.Trade Review"Malamud’s analysis provides a key to understanding why the US party system aligns itself with certain issues. To be read by all Americans, as history or a warning. [It is] not just another United States as New Rome, but [has] clear, meaningful comparisons. [It] clarifies our current political trajectory." (About.com (Ancient History Guide), November 2008)Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii Acknowledgments x Introduction 1 1 Exemplary Romans in the Early Republic 9 2 Working Men’s Heroes 34 3 Rome and the Politics of Slavery 70 4 Corporate Caesars and Radical Reformers 98 5 Manifest Virtue 122 6 The Pleasures of Empire 150 7 Screening Rome During the Great Depression 186 8 Cold War Romans 208 9 Imperial Consumption 229 Epilogue 253 Bibliography 261 Filmography 279 Index 280

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Tiwanaku The city of Tiwanaku lies ruined in the rugged Andean steppe of Bolivia twelve thousand feet above sea level, the highest urban settlement of the ancient world. Its wide streets open towards ramparts of glaciated mountain peaks and the intense blue waters of Lake Titicaca. Gigantic stone sculptures and shattered architectural blocks suggest profound antiquity and the passage of great events, now lost and unremembered. Here, two and a half thousand years ago, a distinct society emerged which over the course of thirteen centuries developed one of the greatest civilizations and the first empire of the ancient Americas. This book, the first published history of the Tiwanakan peoples from their origins to their present survival, is a feat of scholarly and archaeological detection undertaken and led by the author. Alan Kolata draws together the evidence of historical documents from the time of the Iberian conquest, accounts and legends of the contemporary inhabitants, and the results of extensive excavations in order to provide a narrative covering three thousand years. In doing so he addresses and explains features of Tiwanakan culture that have long puzzled scholars: the origins of their uniquely massive architecture, the nature of their sophisticated hydraulically-engineered agriculture, their obsession with decapitation and the display of severed heads, and not least the reasons for their mysterious and sudden decline at the end of the tenth century. The book is illustrated throughout with photographs, maps and drawings, and is fully referenced and indexed. Although written to appeal to the nonspecialist and assuming no prior knowledge of the subject, this is a book of scholarly import, and likely to become the standard work for many years.Trade Review"A useful textbook covering a range of relevant topics, amply and well illustrated." British Bulletin of PublicationsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. 1. The Myth of Tiwanaku. 2. The Sources. 3. The Natural and Social Setting. 4. Tiwanaku Emergence. 5. Taypikala: The City at the Center. 6. Metropole and Hinterland. 7. The Empire Expands. 8. The Decline and Fall of Tiwanaku. Bibliography.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis vivid evocation of an ancient civilization is both enlivened and deepened by the author's sympathetic understanding of customs, rituals and myths which to modern eyes may seem both strange and terrible. It will be widely welcomed by scholars and students of South American archaeology and history, by all those curious to know more about a civilization that for thirteen centuries was largely forgotten.Trade Review" It is doubly welcome because Garth Bawden, himself a Moche specialist, has done a masterful job of condensing and interpreting the great number of scholarly publications on the Moche into a book which will serve the interested public, students at various levels of study, and specialists alike." Jeffrey Quilter, Pre-Columbian Studies, Dumbarton OaksTable of ContentsPreface. Part I: The Moche World:. 1. Introduction: Encountering the Moche. 2. The Andean Natural World as Culture. 3. Life and Work in Moche Society. 4. Symbols of Power. 5. Rituals of Power. Part II: History of the Moche:. 6. The Moche Historical Tradition. 7. The Emergence of Moche Society. 8. Moche Florescent. 9. Collapse and Reconstitution in the Late Moche Period. 10. End and Beginning: The Passing of the Moche Era. 11. Postscript: The Moche Legacy. Bibliography. Figure Captions.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1950, Dana Lamb, an explorer of some notoriety, stumbled on a Maya ruin in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala. Lamb failed to record the location of the site he called Laxtunich, turning his find into the mystery at the center of this book. The lintels he discovered there, long since looted, are probably of a set with two others that are among the masterworks of Maya sculpture from the Classic period. Using fieldwork, physical evidence, and Lamb's expedition notes, the authors identify a small area with archaeological sites where the carvings were likely produced. Remarkably, the vividly colored lintels, replete with dynastic and cosmic information, can be assigned to a carver, Mayuy, who sculpted his name on two of them. To an extent nearly unique in ancient America, Mayuy can be studied over time as his style developed and his artistic ambition grew. An in-depth analysis of Laxtunich Lintel 1 examines how Mayuy grafted celestial, seasonal, and divine identities onto a local magnate and his overlord from the kingdom of Yaxchilan, Mexico. This volume contextualizes the lintels and points the way to their reprovenancing and, as an ultimate aim, repatriation to Guatemala.Trade Review"Cultural restitution-in the form of provenancing "orphaned" ancient monuments-is one of the most important endeavors in contemporary archaeology, art history, and epigraphy. In this book a group of leading scholars combine their considerable expertise to show how the meaning and context of a superb work of purloined art can be illuminated and restored."-Simon Martin, Penn Museum and the University of Pennsylvania ;; "A multifaceted and illuminating account of an enigmatic group of looted monuments, this text offers a unique portrait of an eighth-century Maya sculptor and his world. In addition to considering the artistic, political, and cosmological spheres into which the works intervened, it does not shy away from modern realities of looting and the art market, laying out a persuasive case for the origin of these sculptures that will aid in their eventual repatriation."- Claudia Brittenham, Associate Professor of Art History, University of Chicago;; “Houston and his coauthors have written a unique and compelling study of a Classic Maya sculptor, Mayuy. They combine formal, iconographic, epigraphic, and contextual evidence to produce a biography of sorts from four magnificent lintel sculptures done over an extended time period, highlighting the important emergence of self-identification by Maya artists.”—Thomas B.F. Cummins, Director and Professor of Pre-Columbian and Colonial Art, Dumbarton Oaks

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn in-depth exploration of the history, authentication, and modern relevance of Codice Maya de Mexico, the oldest surviving book of the Americas. Ancient Maya scribes recorded prophecies and astronomical observations on the pages of painted books. Although most were lost to decay or destruction, three pre-Hispanic Maya codices were known to have survived, when, in the 1960s, a fourth book that differed from the others appeared in Mexico under mysterious circumstances. After fifty years of debate over its authenticity, recent investigations using cutting-edge scientific and art historical analyses determined that Codice Maya de Mexico (formerly known as Grolier Codex) is in fact the oldest surviving book of the Americas, predating all others by at least two hundred years. This volume provides a multifaceted introduction to the creation, discovery, interpretation, and scientific authentication of Codice Maya de Mexico. In addition, a full-color facsimile and a page-by-page guide to the iconography make the codex accessible to a wide audience. Additional topics include the uses and importance of sacred books in Mesoamerica, the role of astronomy in ancient Maya societies, and the codex's continued relevance to contemporary Maya communities. This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from October 18, 2022, to January 15, 2023.Trade Review"Codice Maya de Mexico promises 'understanding' in its title and delivers to the highest degree, with all the lucidity and scholarship to be expected from the Getty Research Institute. After decades of see-sawing disputes-some favoring the authenticity of this document, others not- Andrew Turner and his colleagues have landed at where we should have been at the start, when the book first came to our attention in the 1960s. Arising in a time of cultural interplay, Codice Maya de Mexico shows itself to be the earliest, largely complete tome from Indigenous America. Looking to the heavens, and to Venus in particular, this screenfold (or leporello) indicates how predictable planetary movements were linked in Maya minds to cyclic conflicts between gods. And it does so by muting language and highlighting lists of days unencumbered by more elaborate text. Codice Maya thus served as a supple hybrid. Crosscutting societies, it 'lived' between different languages and rituals yet still retained its Maya identity. Codice Maya, a special treasure of the Estados Unidos Mexicanos, has now fulfilled its own manifest destiny by traveling to Los Angeles, a city founded by the precursor of the Mexican republic and a global example today of the benefits of cultural contact. This study and the welcome visit of the codex to the J. Paul Getty Museum provide unrivaled pleasures to all who care about the power of books and what happens when societies collide, mesh, and-as a direct result-strengthen."-Stephen Houston, editor of A Maya Universe In Stone ;; "What a great story: a rare Mesoamerican document, once thought to be a fake and featuring nuanced innovations in the arrangement of its complex astronomical content from a long-regarded archetype, is confirmed half a century later to be the archetype's historical predecessor. You can't make this stuff up. In this tidy, accessible package, Andrew Turner brings together the story of the physical analysis, historical background, and decipherment of Codice Maya de Mexico-the oldest book in the world of the Maya."-Anthony Aveni, Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy, Anthropology, and Native American Studies Emeritus at Colgate University; “These interconnected essays explore astronomical knowledge, bookmaking practices, artistic and scribal conventions, and belief systems at a significant juncture in Mesoamerican history through analysis of the recently authenticated Códice Maya de México. What I found especially compelling were the complementary methodologies and perspectives employed to contextualize this early codex, framing it not only within the cultural context of its eleventh- or twelfth-century creators but also in terms of its significance to contemporary descendant populations working to reclaim their intellectual heritage.” -- Gabrielle Vail, Research Collaborator, Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Read more less

Book SynopsisLittle is known about how Late Postclassic populations in southeast Mesoamerica organized their political relations. Networks of Power fills gaps in the knowledge of this little-studied area, reconstructing the course of political history in the Naco Valley from the fourteenth through early sixteenth centuries. Describing the material and behavioral patterns pertaining to the Late Postclassic period using components of three settlements in the Naco Valley of northwestern Honduras, the book focuses on how contests for power shaped political structures. Power-seeking individuals, including but not restricted to ruling elites, depended on networks of allies to support their political objectives. Ongoing and partially successful competitions waged within networks led to the incorporation of exotic ideas and imported items into the daily practices of all Naco Valley occupants. The result was a fragile hierarchical structure forever vulnerable to the initiatives of agents operating on local and distant stages. Networks of Power describes who was involved in these competitions and in which networks they participated; what resources were mustered within these webs; which projects were fueled by these assets; and how, and to what extent, they contributed to the achievement of political aims.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Carnegie Maya IV is the fourth in a series of volumes that make available the primary data and interpretive 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, for individual download, 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.Table of ContentsLesson 1 - Basic Aerodynamics; Lesson 2 - Aircraft Systems; Lesson 3 - Flight Instruments; Lesson 4 - Regulations; Lesson 5 - Procedures and Airport Operations; Lesson 6 - Weather; Lesson 7 - Weather Services; Lesson 8 - Aircraft Performance; Lesson 9 - En Route Flight; Lesson 10 - Navigation; Lesson 11 - Communication Procedures; Lesson 12 - Pitting It All Together; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book takes an in-depth look at the condition of the contemporary United States and shows why Americans should be deeply concerned. It tackles controversial subjects such as immigration, political correctness, morality, religion and the rise of a new elite class. Author Joseph Johnston provides many historical examples of empires declining, including the Roman and British empires, detailing their trajectory from dominance to failure, and, in the case of Britain, subsequent re-emergence as modern-day nation. Johnston delivers riveting lessons on the U.S. government viewed through the lens of excessive centralisation and deterioration of the rule of law. He demonstrates the results of weak policies including the surging Progressive movement and the expanding Welfare state. In The Decline of Nations, Johnston asks important questions about diminished military capacity, a broken educational system, and the decline of American arts and culture. He questions the sustainability of the nation's vast global commitments and shows how those commitments are threatening America's strength and prosperity. There is no historical guarantee that the United States can sustain its economic and political dominance in the world scene. By knowing the historic patterns of the great nations and empires, there is much to be learned about America's own destiny.Trade Review"Johnston . . . reaches back to the rise and fall of the empires of Rome and Great Britain to diagnose America's current decline and to seek possible solutions for reversing the decline." Francis P. Sempa, New York Journal Of Books"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, The Decline of Nations: Lessons for Strengthening America at Home and in the World is highly recommended for community, college, and university library in United States History and Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists." Midwest Book Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisMetallurgical activity was present in Ecuador from at least 1500 BC; by around the beginning of the Common Era metallurgical manufacture and use had extended to most of the Costa and Sierra. Regional styles soon evolved giving rise to high levels of technical craftsmanship and to shaping particular iconographic and decorative patterns. Copper, gold, silver and platinum were mined, processed and converted into thousands of ornaments, offerings, tools and weapons extensively used both by elites and by the common people. By 1450, the Incas had invaded most of the Ecuadorian Sierra and eventually they integrated the diverse metallurgical traditions into their state-managed metallurgical industry. The European conquest in the sixteenth century deeply affected the native metallurgical activities, even though in some regions copper continued to be worked throughout the colonial period. The reconstruction of the general outlines of this fascinating historical process was made possible through the study of the collection of archaeological metal objects of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador, the compilation of previous archaeological references, laboratory analyses and C14 dating of museum objects. This work is the first one of its kind to be published on the ancient metallurgy of Ecuador.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1- The collection of the Ministry of Culture Chapter 2 - Previous studies on the pre-Hispanic metallurgy of Ecuador Chapter 3 - Metallogenesis and metal resources in Ecuador Chapter 4 - Early finds and the Initial Period Chapter 5 - La Tolita –Tumaco Chapter 6 - Jama – Coaque Chapter 7 – Bahia Chapter 8 - Milagro – Quevedo Chapter 9 - Manteño – Huancavilca Chapter 10 – Puruha Chapter 11 – Cañari Chapter 12 - Carchi – Nariño Chapter 13 - Isolated finds Chapter 14 - Inca Integration Chapter 15 - Iconography and symbolism Chapter 16 – Synthesis Chapter 17 - An interpretative proposal

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume has two main objectives: establishing a chronology of the Middle Balsas and detailing the region’s pottery production methods. The author posits that pottery intended for different functions was often deliberately made and/or decorated in ways that were chosen to make the vessels more appropriate for their intended functions. More specifically, this study determines whether any of the pottery production patterns identified in the region are linked to specific constraints imposed by the materials during the process of pottery manufacture. For example, it examines whether variables such as vessel shape and wall thickness correlate with the clay types and processing techniques determined during thin section analysis of the ancient sherds. Additionally, certain production behaviours are identified that are characteristic of the entire region and that can be used as markers of local tradition.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Problem Statement, Theoretical Underpinnings, and the Ecology of the Middle Balsas Region ; Chapter 2: Previous Work and Contemporary Archaeological Projects in and Surrounding the Middle Balsas Region ; Chapter 3: Methods ; Chapter 4: Field Results from the Sites of La Quesería, Itzímbaro, and Mexiquito ; Chapter 5: Results from Laboratory Analyses and Replication Studies ; Chapter 6: Patterns in Middle Balsas Pottery Production and their Interpretation ; Chapter 7: Conclusions ; Bibliography ; Appendix 1: Registry of Bags from La Quesería, Itzímbaro, and Mexiquito ; Appendix 2: Ceramic Analysis ; Appendix 3: Diameter and Thickness Measurements ; Appendix 4: Obsidian Analysis ; Appendix 5: Figurine Analysis ; Appendix 6: Raw Point Count Data ; Appendix 7: Strength Test Data

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Classic Maya (AD 250-900) of central and southern Yucatan were long seen as exceptional in many ways. We now know that they did not invent Mesoamerican writing or calendars, that they were just as warlike as other ancient peoples, that many innovations in art and architecture attributed to them had diverse origins, and that their celebrated “collapse” is not what it seems. One exceptionalist claim stubbornly persists: the Maya were canny tropical ecologists who managed their fragile tropical environments in ways that supported extremely large and dense populations and still guaranteed resilience and sustainability. Archaeologists commonly assert that Maya populations far exceeded those of other ancient civilizations in the Old and New Worlds. The great center of Tikal, Guatemala, has been central to our conceptions of Maya demography since the 1960s. Re-evaluation of Tikal’s original settlement data and its implications, supplemented by much new research there and elsewhere, allows a more modest and realistic demographic evaluation. The peak Classic population probably was on the order of 1,000,000 people. This population scale helps resolve debates about how the Maya made a living, the nature of their sociopolitical systems, how they created an impressive built environment, and places them in plausible comparative context with what we know about other ancient complex societies.Table of ContentsIntroduction; A Short History of Maya Demographic Estimates and their Implications; Comparative Demographic Estimates for Other Civilizations; University of Pennsylvania Tikal Project Population Estimates; The “Managed Forest” Model for the Lowland Maya: Implications for Tikal; Biases and Limitations of the Tikal Research and some Comparisons with Copan; How Many Maya Lived in the Central and Southern Lowlands during Late and Terminal Classic Times? ; Discussion and Conclusions; Appendix A: Population Density Calculations; Appendix B: The Big Stuff; Appendix C: Agricultural Intensification; Appendix D: Maya Food Shortfalls and Their Consequences; Appendix E: Agrarian Capital, Land Tenure, Inheritance, Entitlements, and Agency; Appendix F: Classic Maya Political Organization and Institutions; Appendix G: Malthus, Boserup, and the Maya References cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom their mythical origins to astonishing feats of engineering, an expertly informed reassessment of one of the great empires of the Americas: the Inca. In their heyday, the Inca ruled over the largest land empire in the Americas, reaching the pinnacle of South American civilization. Known as the "Romans of the Americas," these fabulous engineers converted the vertiginous, challenging landscapes of the Andes into a fertile region able to feed millions, alongside building royal estates such as Machu Picchu and a 40,000-kilometer-long road network crisscrossed by elegant braided-rope suspension bridges. Beautifully illustrated, this book examines the mythical origins and history of the Inca, including their economy, society, technology, and beliefs. Kevin Lane reconsiders previous theories while proposing new interpretations concerning the timeline of Inca expansion, their political organization, and the role of women in their society while showcasing how their legacy endures today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnemy – Stranger – Neighbour: The Image of the Other in Moche Culture is dedicated to artistic renderings of the Recuay people in Moche art, in all available and preserved media. The Moche and the Recuay were the creators of the two main cultures of northern Peru in the Early Intermediate Period (approx. 100-750 CE). They were both illiterate and they left no written documents concerning the nature of their mutual contacts. The Moche, however, represented the Recuay quite extensively in their ceremonial art, which served as a powerful ideological tool of social influence and control. Its iconography gives an exceptional opportunity to study the mechanisms of perceiving and presenting the ‘other’ in a traditional society. This study offers an analysis of a set of several dozen complex, painted and bas-relief scenes, as well as several hundred mould-pressed, sculpted depictions of foreigners in Moche art. It tries to answer the questions of how the message regarding the ‘other’ was created and communicated, what its concept may have been and what social functions it may have served among the groups living in the Southern Moche Region. The attitude to foreigners – as reconstructed on the basis of Moche iconography – was not unidimensional. It was characterized by a combination of extreme feelings and emotions such as fear and admiration, resentment and interest, repulsion and fascination. It has many features of a typical approach to all ‘others’ studied by specialists of different disciplines in various contexts and cultures. The observations made in this book will prove of interest not only to Moche scholars, Andean archaeologists or, people interested in the pre-Columbian cultures of South America, but also – if only as an analogy – to historians, art historians, sociologists and anthropologists dealing with the issue of alterity.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Acknowledgements ; Chapter 1: How to Represent an Enemy? ; Foreign warriors ; Foreign captives ; Foreigners and large felines ; Chapter 2: How to Represent a Stranger? ; Coca takers ; The ‘sleeping’ ; Bearded men ; ‘Siamese twins’ ; Chapter 3: How to Represent a Neighbour? ; ‘Salesmen’ ; Burden bearers ; Owners of pack animals ; Final Remarks ; Appendix 1: Glossary of Terms ; Appendix 2: Online Catalogues of Moche Art Collections ; Appendix 3: Representations of Foreigners in Fineline Painted Scenes in the Moche Archive ; References

Read more less

Book SynopsisToniná was a Mayan city, located between two cultural areas near the Chiapas Highlands. It has been widely proposed that the Maya collapse implied the disappearance and depopulation of many cities; this research addresses the survival of Toniná towards the threshold of the Postclassic. For this purpose, 15,956 human bones found in Structure 15 of the fifth platform in the Acropolis of Toniná were analysed. The analysis of anthropological osteology allowed us to know the biological profile and to document the cultural taphonomy, through which the practice of human sacrifice and the posthumous treatment of the victims was evidenced. The application of stable isotope and strontium analyses also allowed us to determine the dietary profile of those sacrificed, their geographical origin and mobility throughout their lives. A change in ritual practices in the Mayan area was glimpsed, as ideological influences were found, possibly from the Gulf Coast in the cult of other deities, as in the case of Xipe Totéc; the Gulf Coast had great influence in the Mayan area since ancient times and this has been confirmed at this site through ceramics.Table of ContentsIntroducción ; Capítulo 1 Arqueología e historia de Toniná ; Capítulo 2 Características biológicas y rasgos bioculturales en la muestra de estudio ; Capítulo 3 ¿Quiénes fueron las víctimas? ¿De dónde vinieron? Paleodieta y procedencia geográfica ; Capítulo 4 Análisis tafonómico, estudio de caso en Toniná ; Capítulo 5 Vida y muerte en Toniná. Sacrificio humano y rituales póstumos en el umbral del Posclásico ; Conclusiones ; Bibliografía

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the pre-Hispanic period, the northern coast of Peru saw the development of numerous societies, such as those of the Virú-Gallinazo and Mochica populations that coexisted during the first millennium of our era. In this region, the morpho-stylistic analysis of ceramics allowed to constitute the chronological sequence commonly accepted, which makes the Virú-Gallinazo and Mochica populations two rival and contemporary societies. However, little is known about their relationship. The research presented here documents the Virú-Gallinazo and Mochica pottery traditions to understand both their origins, filiations, and contacts. This work consisted of studying the modes of manufacture of archaeological ceramics discovered at more than nine sites in the region, preserved at the Ministry of Culture of Peru and various Peruvian, French and American museums. Following the principles of ceramic technology, an innovative methodology for the Central Andes, the traces of manufacture visible on the potteries were studied to define the different steps of the operative chain. This research indicates that these populations had their own technical traditions, and therefore their potters were not anchored in the same learning networks. However, we demonstrate that these populations maintained frequent contacts by exchanging their ceramics, or by moving from one region to another to produce them. These results raise the importance of shifting the focus on ceramic material from a more classical stylistic approach to consider it from the point of view of their production, in order to restore the link between the ceramics, their producers, and the societies to which they belong.Table of ContentsIntroducción ; Primera Parte: Contexto de la investigación ; Capítulo 1. La costa norte y las poblaciones Virú-Gallinazo y Mochica ; Capítulo 2. La contribución de la investigación sobre el material cerámico al conocimiento de las poblaciones de Virú-Gallinazo y sus vínculos con los Mochicas ; Capítulo 3. Antecedentes de la investigación sobre la producción cerámica Virú-Gallinazo y Mochica: una perspectiva arqueológica, etnohistórica y etnoarqueológica ; Segunda Parte. Contextos, colecciones cerámicas y metodología de investigación ; Capítulo 4. Presentación de los sitios arqueológicos y de los fondos museográficos del estudio ; Capítulo 5. La colección cerámica ; Capítulo 6. Metodología para el estudio de los conjuntos cerámicos ; Tercera Parte. Las tradiciones técnicas de la producción cerámica Virú-Gallinazo y Mochica ; Capítulo 7. Descripción de las entidades y grupos técnicos ; Capítulo 8. Definición de la variabilidad de las entidades y grupos técnicos: vinculación con los grupos tecno-petrográficos y tecno-morfo-estilísticos ; Cuarta Parte. Interpretación y discusión de los resultados ; Capítulo 9. Síntesis y discusión sobre las filiaciones y contactos entre las poblaciones Virú-Gallinazo y Mochica ; Conclusión ; Bibliografía ; Apéndices ; I. Vocabulario técnico ; II. Inventario de las colecciones cerámicas ; III. Inventario de las colecciones museográficas ; IV. Análisis petrográficos

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Skyband Group is an impressive elite site in the urban core of Copán, Honduras, which is dominated by the palatial compounds of Maya sub-royal nobles. Such grandees often bore court titles showing that they were clients and officials of kings, but also competitors for political power, especially just before the dynastic collapse around AD 800. Penn State University excavations in 1990 and 1997 revealed large vaulted buildings, richly embellished with facade sculpture, and an elaborate carved throne in the form of a sky band, replete with celestial images of the sun, moon, and Venus. Artifacts and burials retrieved from these buildings and smaller ancillary structures are characteristic of elite residences, but the iconography of the facades and the throne also reveals connections with Copán’s royal dynasty and efforts by the last ruler to shore up his faltering kingdom. Activity at the Skyband Group and other sites in the Copán valley continued after the abrupt political debacle, an example of the ‘slow collapse’ process that is increasingly evident among the great Maya centers in the southern lowlands of Mesoamerica.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter One: Maya Places and Elites Chapter Two: Group 8N-11 Chapter Three: Operations in the Plaza and the Str. 66 Complex Chapter Four: The Skyband Bench and its Neighbors Chapter Five: The Façade Sculpture Chapter Six: Operation 50: The Ancillary Buildings Chapter Seven: Operation 63: The 1997 Field Season Chapter Eight: Features and Burials Chapter Nine: Artifacts Chapter Ten: Group 8N-11: The Short Chronology Chapter Eleven: The Long Chronology Chapter Twelve: Final Thoughts Appendix A: Radiocarbon Dates from Burials and Archaeomagnetic Dates Appendix B: Illustrations of Selected Artifacts Bibliography

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. Mesoamerican culture is rooted in the region of modern Mexico where some 3500 years ago ancient peoples called the Olmecs farmed and created beautiful art and pottery at roughly the same time as the Middle Kingdom Ancient Egyptians, the Babylonians and a little after the Indus Valley societies of India. After the Olmecs many different groups emerged, amongst them the sophisticated Maya 200 years after the beginning of the Common Era. In turn they would be superseded by the Toltecs, during the long period that the Vikings swept across the length of Europe in search of silver. Another precious metal, gold, was plentiful in the Americas, the control of which was mastered by the successors of the Toltecs, the Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, who grew to dominate the region from the 13th to the 15th Century. Soon they would lend their name to the a great new city, Mexico. Through a fascinating selection of historical texts on the region and a thoughtful new introduction summarising how we understand the region today, his book traces the development of the early peoples, the emergence of some of the key civilizations of the many rich and varied societies of Mesoamerica, ending tragically with arrival of the Spanish explorers hungry for land, and for Aztec gold. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction: authors, myths, tales and history without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new Introduction and a Glossary of Terms or lists of Ancient Leaders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the extraordinary history of the hidden civilizations of the first people of the South American Andes, with over 200 photographs and illustrations. This is a fascinating in-depth guide to the mysterious Inca world, providing an extraordinary insight into everyday life. It offers a vivid account of how the Chavin, Nazca, Moche, Wari, Tiwanaku, Chimu, Inca and other people lived. It explores the daily life of the Incas from birth and childhood, to adulthood, marriage, the rituals of death and burial. Chart the progression of Andean societies from primitive villages to the busy, bustling cities of the Late Horizon period including Tiwanaku, Chan Chan and Cuzco. 200 stunning colour photographs, illustrations and detailed maps accompany a lively text, to create a glorious vision of the Inca world. The lives of the ancient native people of Peru and the Andes are shrouded in mystery and mythology. This volume uncovers the day-to-day realities of the ancient Andean world. Beautiful photographs and illustrations create a pictorial timeline from the first villages to the bustling cities of the late period. Explore the working conditions of the Andean civilizations and the realities of daily life. Delve into the religion and mythology of the Inca world. With over 200 full-colour illustrations, accompanied by engaging text, timelines and a comprehensive glossary, this is a highly readable source of reference for both specialist and general reader.Trade Review"'This book takes you to the very heart of the Inca civilization. From the dizzying heights of the Andean cordilleras to the golden kingdoms of coastal Peru and onwards to the Incas the story unfolds with breathtaking clarity.' (Tony Morrison, photographer and author of Pathway to the Gods)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisLate in the tenth century, the Norse Vikings embarked on a voyage of no return. Leaving Iceland first for Greenland, from there they sailed onwards to North America, setting foot on its shores five hundred years before Columbus' first journeys of discovery. But by about AD 1500 their settlements were abandoned and the Norse Greenlanders and their explorations of the New World receded into the realms of myth. What happened between these momentous events? How did the Vikings really live - and die - and why have so many myths and legends grown up around this mysterious people of the sea? Drawing on her deep knowledge of the culture and history of the region as well as the most up-to-date evidence from archaeology, medieval history and the evocative Sagas, Seaver weaves together a compelling and authoritative history. Alongside their spectacular achievements and discoveries, she also vividly evokes the last Vikings' daily lives and explains why their apparent departure in 1500 was not quite such a dramatic schism in the historical record as is often assumed. This compelling history of a people living at the fringes of the known world offers an illuminating entry into the world of the Norse Greenlanders which will captivate all who have ever wondered about the fate of the Vikings and will stand as the definitive work for years to come.Trade Review'A fascinating investigation into one of the most elusive mysteries of the far North. Kirsten Seaver brings to life a wonderful cast of Saga heroes, the Norse at their most outlandish and compelling.' - Joanna Kavenna, author of The Ice Museum; 'The Last Vikings is an impressive work by a highly experienced writer. The primary and secondary sources are handled with clarity and confidence and interpretations are given and opinions expressed about numerous controversial matters. The writing is efficient, sharp and with touches of striking phraseology and the pace is always maintained; this author knows exactly what she wants to communicate. And despite the remoteness of Greenland from most people's consciousness, there is an important element of topicality, given the strategic role of the ice-cap in modern climatological studies. In that sense, everyone ought to be better informed about the story of medieval Greenland and in particular the causes of the colony's decline.' - Howard Clarke, Professor Emeritus of Medieval History, University College Dublin; 'Kirsten Seaver has scoured all the important archives in her hunt for coherence over the five hundred years of Norse Greenland society. She presents a 'moveable' Norse society, in contrast to the earlier idea of a rather static society, and provides an especially fascinating and clear overview of the cartography of the North Atlantic area. The Last Vikings is compact but filled with up to date insights, both archaeological and historical. She goes right to the core of the subject and her theories are always backed up by thorough analysis and presented in a clear and understandable way. The Last Vikings is an exciting and accessible book, infused with the author's joy of explaining this intriguing but not yet fully explained world.' - Joel Berglund, former Vice Director of the Greenland National Museum & ArchivesTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: No forwarding address Physical description of Greenland • The push westwards • Additional source material • Modern voices of gloom and doom. Chapter 2: Eirik the Red knew where to go Medieval geographical knowledge • Eirik the Red goes west • Norse navigation • A daring real estate venture • Dividing up a new land • Eirik the Red settles in • Establishing homes in the wilderness • Brattahlid then and now. Chapter 3: Forging a new homeland A new society takes shape • Putting food on the table • The role of domestic animals • Adapting to Greenland • Cows versus sheep and goats • Cultural distinctiveness • Fuel • Slaves and hired hands • Social structure • Voyages to the High Arctic • Missing resources. Chapter 4: Leif Eiriksson explores another new land No game of chance • The men in charge • Reaching the other side • Life at L’Anse aux Meadows • Discovering Vínland grapes • Follow-up voyages • Encountering Vínland natives • The aftermath. Chapter 5: The fictional Norse in North America Prince Madoc of Wales • Earl Henry Sinclair of Orkney • The Westford stone • The Newport Tower • The Kensington Rune Stone • The Spirit Pond stones • The Vinland Map • Norumbega. Chapter 6: Who were the Skrælings? The spherical world picture • Monstrous races of the Far North • The West had finally met the East • Norse interaction with Arctic natives. Chapter 7: Relations with Church and Crown Geographical independence • Christianity reaches the Northwest Atlantic • Imported from The British Isles • Organized Christianity • Greenland becomes a diocese • Greenland priests • Royal pressure from Norway • The sea was still the highway • Small royal impact on Greenland • Tithes and taxes increase • Ívar Bárdarson’s mission • No more resident Gardar bishops • Did the Greenlanders lose their Christian faith? Chapter 8: Foreign trade Marketable Greenland commodities • Walrus ivory kept its value • Early markets and trade routes • Consolidation of the European markets • The Hanseatic League • Norse Greenland and Norwegian trade legislation • The art of ‘drifting off.’ Chapter 9: Contact with Iceland Disease: an unwelcome travel companion • Norwegian politics in Iceland • End of the Icelandic commonwealth • Iceland under the new rule • Björn Einarsson ‘Jerusalem-Farer’ and his circle • Sigrid Björnsdaughter • The Black Death • Thorstein Olafsson plans his future • Leaving Greenland in 1410 • From Norway to Iceland • Another transfer of royal power. Chapter 10: The English in the North Atlantic English focus on Iceland • King Eirik comes to power • Thorstein Olafsson’s circle and the English • Moving westwards • Where was Thorstein in 1419- 1420? • Tantalizing archaeological evidence • In Iceland meanwhile – – • A further sea change • Sharpened conflict with the English • The English tighten their grip • Passing the generational torch • The English encounter a headwind. Chapter 11: Where did the Norse Greenlanders go? Papal laments • Other end game scenarios • Changes in animal husbandry • Choices • Greenland and the North Atlantic economy • John Cabot’s successors • The early cartographic record • Claudius Clavus • Larsen’s fantasy • Portuguese experience and the 1502 ‘Cantino’ map • English experience and the 1507/08 Ruysch map • João Fernandes, llavrador • João’s Bristol contacts • Tracing João Fernandes and Richard Warde. Chapter 12: Who went looking for them? Erik Valkendorf’s Greenland plans • Erik Valkendorf and Ívar Bárdarson • Ívar’s wider sphere of influence • The ‘new’ Greenland emerges • Misplaced, but not forgotten • Early post-Valkendorf attempts to reach the Norse • Concerted efforts by Christian IV • Claus Christoffersen Lyschander (1558- 1624) • Changing priorities • Hans Egede (1686-17

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Spaniards typically portrayed the conquest and fall of Mexico Tenochtitlan as Armageddon, while native peoples in colonial Mesoamerica continued to write and paint their histories and lives often without any mention of the foreigners in their midst. Their accounts took the form of annals, chronicles, religious treatises, tribute accounts, theatre pieces, and wills. Thousand of documents were produced, almost all of which served to preserve indigenous ways of doing things. But what provoked record keeping on such a grand scale? At what point did pre-contact sacred writing become utilitarian and quotidian? Were their texts documentaries, a form of boosterism, even ingenious intellectualism, or were they ultimately a literature of ruin? This volume seeks to address key aspects of indigenous perspectives of the conquest and Spanish colonialism by examining what they themselves recorded and why they did so.Table of ContentsAztec Pictography and European Prose: Translation across Language, Script, and Genre (Elizabeth Hill Boone); Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitls Narratives of the Conquest: Historical Discourses and the Colonial Subject (Amber Brian); Staging Conquest: A Nahuatl Historical Drama of the Destruction of Jerusalem (Louise M. Burkhart); Sixteenth-Century Pictorials from Tlaxcala: A Multiplicity of Responses to the Conquest (Travis Krantz); Chimalpahin and Writing Indian History for Generations to Come (Susan Schroeder); Perhaps our lord God has forgotten me: Intruding into the Colonial Nahua (Aztec) Confesssional (Barry David Sell); Sacred Time and Colonial Authority: Representation of Spanish Rule in the Zapotec Calendar of Villa Alta (David E. Tavarez); Three Texts in One: Images of the Conquest of Mexico in Book XII of the Florentine Codex (Kevin Terraciano); Don Juan Zapata and the Notion of a Nahua Identity (Camilla Townsend); Women in Conquest Paintings: Representations of Indigenous Women in Conquest Pictorials from New Spain. (Stephanie Wood).

Read more less