The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors: Archaeology of Mesoamerica

This is a thorough revision of the successful Second Edition and includes both Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. It covers the period from the European settling of the New World to the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521, as well as the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs that reveal dynastic history, and recent discoveries and excavations at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, Caracol in Belize, and Mexico.
The Third Edition of this successful introduction to the archaeology of Mesoamerica includes full coverage of the Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. Beginning with the settling of the New World and continuing through the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica in 1521, this completely updated textbook contains information on decipherment of the Maya hieroglyphs, excavation in Belize and Honduras as well as in Guatemala. News from Mexico, including the west, refocuses ideas on writing, murals, architecture, and the Olmec. The latest information on new approaches, theories, sites, and areas of investigation. This information reflects the work of a new generation of researchers whose recent discoveries have shed additional light on many of the ideas that have shaped the last fifty years of Mesoamerican archaeology.
Includes deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs, the dynamic history of the Maya, the new royal tomb excavated at Copan, Honduras, important new discoveries at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, and Caracol in Belize, ritual sacrifices on a massive scale revealed at Teotihuacan in central Mexico, new material from Tula (Toltec capitol) and from the heart of Mexico City.

Key Features
* All-in-one textbook covering the Aztecs (central Mexico) and the Maya (Yucatan and Central America) in one volume
* Spans the period from the settling of the New World until the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521
* Shows the growth and collapse of the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec empires
* Includes a chapter on Mesoamerica's relationship to the northeast (southeastern United States) and to the Andean region of South America
* Illustrates the importance of trade, domestication of plants, and the rise of urbanism in relation to other cultures in the New World