Here is the story of America's oldest - and oddest - civilization, the Olmecs of the southern Mexican jungles. Virtually unknown to archaeologists until the early twentieth century, their true importance is only now being realized and shedding new light on how the Indian peoples of the Americas came to be here.

An authoritative survey of Angkor and the Khmer civilization which incorporates revelations from new discoveries in the past decade that are rewriting history.The ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia has fascinated scholars and visitors alike since its rediscovery in the mid-nineteenth century. All are wonderstruck by the beauty and multiplicity of the sculptures that adorn its temples and structures and are overwhelmed by the sheer size of Angkor. There is nothing t...

The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the ancient Maya on the market today. This classic book has been updated by distilling the latest scholarship for the general reader and student.This tenth edition incorporates the most recent archaeological and epigraphic findings, which continue to proceed at a fast pace, along with full-colour illustrations. The new material includes evidence of the earliest human occupants of the Maya region ...

The definitive history of the Maya, fully updated with the latest archaeological studies and featuring full-color illustrations.The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the ancient Maya by experts Michael D. Coe and Stephen Houston. In this new edition, this classic has been updated by distilling the latest scholarship for the general reader and student.This edition incorporates the most recent archaeological an...

“Masterly. . . . The complexities of Mexico’s ancient cultures are perceptively presented and interpreted.” —Library JournalMichael D. Coe’s Mexico has long been recognized as the most readable and authoritative introduction to the region’s ancient civilizations. This companion to his best-selling The Maya has now been revised by Professor Coe and Rex Koontz.The seventh edition incorporates new findings in a number of disciplines. The solution to ...

This accessible, state-of-the-art review of Mayan hieroglyphics and cosmology also serves as a tribute to one of the field's most noted pioneers.The core of this book focuses on the current study of Mayan hieroglyphics as inspired by the recently deceased Mayanist Linda Schele. As author or coauthor of more than 200 books or articles on the Maya, Schele served as the chief disseminator of knowledge to the general public about this ancient Mesoamerican culture, simi...

The breaking of the Maya code has completely changed our knowledge of this ancient civilization, and has revealed the Maya people's long and vivid history.Decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing has progressed to the point where most Maya written texts—whether inscribed on monuments, written in the codices, or painted or incised on ceramics—can now be read with confidence.In this practical guide, first published in 2001, Michael D. Coe, the noted Mayanist...

“A beautifully written . . . and illustrated history of the Food of the Gods, from the Olmecs to present-day developments.”—ChocolatierThis delightful tale of one of the world’s favorite foods draws on botany, archaeology, and culinary history to present a complete and accurate history of chocolate.It begins some 4,000 years ago in the jungles of Mexico and Central America with the chocolate tree, Theobroma Cacao, and the complex processes necessary to tra...

The inside story of one of the great intellectual breakthroughs of our time—the first great decipherment of an ancient script—now revised and updated.In the past dozen years, Maya decipherment has made great strides, in part due to the Internet, which has made possible the truly international scope of hieroglyphic scholarship: glyphic experts can be found not only in North America, Mexico, Guatemala, and western Europe but also in Russia and the countries of easter...

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 ...

The inside story of one of the major intellectual breakthroughs of our time - the last great decipherment of an ancient script. It will fascinate anyone interested in decipherment and puzzles as well as scholars of Maya civilization. The book has been revised and updated with the latest discoveries.

Coe and Houston update this classic account of the New World's greatest ancient civilization, incorporating the most recent research in a fast-changing field.New discoveries of spectacular stucco sculptures at El Zotz and Holmul reveal surprising aspects of Maya royalty; the 'Classic' Maya themselves can be understood as occupants of royal courts, full of Machiavellian intrigue yet operating in close communion with gods and cosmos. Just-discovered texts at Xultun show a strong conc...