Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (Paperback)

An extensive update to the authoritative introduction to Mexico's ancient civilizations.

Mexico arrives in its eighth edition with a new look and the most recent discoveries. This is the story of the pre-Spanish people of Mexico, who, with their neighbors the Maya, formed some of the most complex societies north of the Andes. Revised and expanded, the book is updated with the latest developments and findings in the field and current terminology.

The new edition includes expanded coverage of Oaxaca, particularly Monte Alba´n, one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica and the center of the Zapotec civilization. Recent research on the Olmecs and the legacy of the Maya offer a wider and more cohesive narrative of Mexico’s history. And a fully revised epilogue discusses the survival of indigenous populations in Mexico from the arrival of the Spanish through to the present day.

Mexico has long been recognized as the most readable and authoritative introduction to the region’s ancient civilizations. Featuring up-to-date research and, for the first time, full-color illustrations throughout, this book brings to life the vibrant ancient art and architecture of Mesoamerica.

200 color illustrations

Michael D. Coe (1929–2019) was professor emeritus of anthropology at Yale University and curator emeritus for the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. His books include The Maya, Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, and Breaking the Maya Code.

Javier Urcid is the Jane’s Chair Professor of Latin American Studies at Brandeis University, where he teaches archaeology, material culture, and Mesoamerican civilizations.

Rex Koontz is Moores Professor of Art History at the University of Houston and Consulting Curator of Ancient American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He has studied the public sculpture of Ancient Mexico for more than two decades, and published articles, book chapters, and the books Lightning Gods and Feathered Serpents; Blood and Beauty: Organized Violence in the Art and Architecture of Mesoamerica (with Heather Orr); Landscape and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica, edited with Kathryn Reese-Taylor and Annabeth Headrick; and Mexico, with Michael Coe and Javier Urcid.

Dr. Koontz wrote chapters on the art of the Americas, from early South America and Mesoamerica and North America, to the art of North, South, and Mesoamerica from 1300 onward.