Ancient Mexico: The History and Culture of the Maya, Aztecs and Other Pre-Columbian Peoples

by Longhena María

More than four hundred full-color illustrations and fourteen specially commissioned archaeological reconstructions add a visual dimension to a lavish overview of the civilizations of the ancient peoples of Mexico and Central America and their remains.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, The Americas, Indigenous

292 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This oversize coffee-table book has beautifully reproduced, well-chosen photographs, but significant drawbacks.

Pluses:
* Excellent photos of iconic objects
* Good cross-section of prehispanic Mesoamerican artwork/artifacts
* Nice feature articles on many major archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras

Neutral:
* Average-quality text (translated from Italian)

Negatives:
* No decent overall map of the area
* Maps of cultures are so general as to be almost useless

So, this shouldn't be your only guide to prehispanic Mesoamerican history. But the high quality of the photos makes it worthwhile if you find an inexpensive copy.

[Alexus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing photography. Worth looking through for that alone. While the written information is pretty slight, it gives a decent (but VERY fast) overview and some interesting discussion of particular sites. A good read for someone traveling to some of these sites, or for someone looking for the briefest of overviews of Precolumbian Mesoamerican culture. The photos really are fantastic.