The Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica A Reader

by Smith, Michael E.; Masson, Marilyn A.

• ISBN13: 9780631211167
• ISBN10: 0631211160
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-04-07
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Twenty-three of the most influential essays by leading scholars are brought together in this Reader, revealing the rich variety of cultures and societies that existed in ancient Mesoamerica. Expert editorial introductions explain the context and significance of the contributions, and extensive bibliographies facilitate further research. This illustrated volume includes the results of the most up-to-date research on a wide range of social practices, cultures, and time periods. Among the subjects addressed are social, economic, and political organization, as well as religion and ideology. The readings are arranged thematically rather than by region in order to compare the main characteristics of Mesoamerican city and rural life, and to bring out both the unity and diversity of these ancient peoples.

Author Biography

Michael E. Smith is Professor of Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany. He is an archaeologist specializing in the study of the Aztecs of central Mexico, and has directed fieldwork projects at Aztec sites in the Mexican state of Morelos. He is the author of The Aztecs (Blackwell, 1996); co-author and co-editor of Aztec Imperial Strategies (with Frances Berdan et al., 1996) and co-editor of Economies and Polities in the Aztec Realm (with Mary G. Hodge, 1994).

Marilyn A. Masson is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Albany. She is a Mesoamerican archaeologist currently focusing on the Postclassic period of the Maya lowlands under the auspices of the Belize Postclassic Project, formed in 1996. She is co-editor of The Belize Postclassic Project 1998: Investigations at Progresso Lagoon (1999).

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Mesoamerican Civilizations

The Organization of Society

Editors' Introduction

Analyzing Household Activities

Distinguishing the High and Mighty from the Hoi Polloi at Tikal, Guatemala

On the Nature of the Mesoamerican City

Corporate Groups and Domestic Activities at Teotihuacan

Economic Organization

Editors' Introduction

Landscapes of Cultivation in Mesoamerica on the Eve of the Conquest

Lithic Craft Specialization and Product Distribution at the Maya Site of Colha, Belize

Economic Change in the Lowland Maya Late Classical Period

Imports and Exports in Classic Mesoamerican Political Economy

Principles of Regional and Long-distance Trade in the Aztec Empire

New Perspectives on Prehispanic Highland Mesoamerica: A Macroregional Approach

Rural Economy in Late Postclassic Morelos: An Archaeological Study

Political Organization

Editors' Introduction

The Power of Prestige: Competitive Generosity and the Emergence of Rank Societies in Lowland Mesoamerica

Classic Maya Emblem Glyphs

Ideology in Ancient Maya Cultural Evolution: The Dynamics of Galactic Policies

State and Society at Teotihuacan, Mexico

Militarism and Social Organization at Xochicalco, Morelos

The Four Priests: Political Stability

Religion and ideology

Editors' Introduction

Art, Ritual, and Rulership in the Olmec World

Ancient Zapotec Ritual and Religion: An Application of the Direct Historical Approach

Kingship in the Late Preclassic Lowlands: The Instruments and Places of Ritual Power

Postclassic Maya Ritual at Laguna de On Island, Belize

Figurines and the Aztec State: Testing the Effectiveness of Ideological Domination

Living with the Ancestors: Kinship and Kingship in Ancient Maya Society

Index

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