The Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica
Subtitle
A Reader
Edited by Michael E. Smith and Marilyn Masson
"The Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica: A Reader" brings together 23 of the most influential essays by leading scholars to reveal the rich variety of cultures and societies that existed in ancient Mesoamerica.
Bio
Michael E. Smith, a professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at ASU, is an archaeologist with two research themes: the Aztecs, Teotihuacan and other societies in ancient central Mexico; and comparative urbanism. He has directed fieldwork projects at numerous sites in the provinces of the Aztec empire in central Mexico.
Praise for this book
This volume is one of a very few that deal with the whole array of civilizations in ancient Mexico and Central America. It will be a welcome companion for readers new to the astonishing achievements and daunting variety of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The editors have chosen well: the papers collected here highlight the common threads that bind Mesoamerican civilizations together, while portraying their individuality and reflecting the diversity of approaches the archaeologists bring to the task of interpreting them.
John S. Henderson Cornell University
"Access to these important articles, as a set, will quickly prove indispensable for courses — and general reading — on Mesoamerican archaeology. The editors' introductions are equally valuable and thought-provoking as they situate the individual chapters, as well as the cross-cutting themes, in a sophisticated, highly readable review of current thinking."
Wendy Ashmore University of Pennsylvania
