Offering an alternative to traditional textbooks, Mesoamerican Archaeology: Theory and Practice places the reader in the middle of contemporary debates by top archaeologists actively exploring the major prehispanic societies of Central America.

Series Editors' Preface Preface Acknowledgments List of Figures List of Contributors 1. Mesoamerica: A Working ModelRosemary A. Joyce, University of California, Berkeley 2. Mesoamerica Goes Public: Early Ceremonial Centers, Leaders, and CommunitiesJohn E. Clark, Brigham Young University 3. Shared Art Styles and Long-Distance Contact in Early MesoamericaRichard G. Lesure, University of California, Los Angeles 4. Governance and Policy at Classic TeotihuacanSaburo Sugiyama, Aichi Prefectural University, Japan 5. Social Identity and Daily Life at Classic TeotihuacanLinda Manzanilla, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico 6. Social Diversity and Everyday Life within Classic Maya SettlementsCynthia Robin, Northwestern University 7. Classic Maya Landscapes and SettlementWendy Ashmore, University of California, Riverside 8. Sacred Space and Social Relations in the Classic Valley of OaxacaArthur A. Joyce, University of Colorado 9. The Archaeology of History in Postclassic OaxacaJohn M. D. Pohl, University of California, Los Angeles 10. Meaning by Design: Ceramics, Feasting and Figured Worlds in Postclassic MexicoElizabeth M. Brumfiel, Albion College 11. The Rural and Urban Landscapes of the Aztec State: Regional Perspectives and the Basin of Mexico Settlement Pattern ProjectDeborah L. Nichols, Dartmouth College 12. Postclassic and Colonial Period Sources on Maya Society and HistoryJulia A. Hendon, Gettysburg College Glossary Index

Mesoamerican Archaeology: Theory and Practice provides a nuanced introduction to the archaeology of Mesoamerica. Offering an alternative to traditional textbooks, this volume places the reader in the middle of contemporary debates among top archaeologists actively exploring the major prehispanic societies of Mexico and Central America. Rather than attempt a single synthesis of current archaeology from the region, the text focuses on key time periods, sites, and the issues these times and places require us to confront. Mesoamerican Archaeology examines key moments in the Mesoamerican historical tradition, from the earliest villages where Olmec art flourished, to the Aztec and Maya City-states that Spanish invaders described in the sixteenth century. Taken together, these writings engage the chronological benchmarks of Pre-Columbian social development in Mesoamerica, such as the transition to village life, emergence of political stratification, and formation of Mesoamerican urban centers. The book is further enriched by an extensive editorial introduction, which situates contemporary Mesoamerican archaeology in the broader terms of the social politics of archaeology. For further resources to use with this book - including study questions, maps and photographs - visit the website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/BSGA/mesoam

"This is not the same old culture history but a respectable compilation of recent fieldwork and analysis within a framework of innovative problem-oriented research. Joyce's introductory chapter is a synthetic tour de force." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute "With specially commissioned essays by leading scholars, this is an excellent up-to-date introduction to Mesoamerican archaeology." Oxbow Books "In this volume archaeologists have, at last, a textbook on Mesoamerica that combines recent data with current social thought. The chapters are beautifully written and provocative, giving deeper insight into Mesoamerican cultural diversity without simplifying 5000 years into a single story. Hendon and Joyce have chosen contributors who are not just specialists, but who are some of the most exciting thinkers of our generation." K. Anne Pyburn, Indiana University "Mesoamerican Archaeology: Theory and Practice is an outstanding book. It is exactly what we’ve needed in the field for a very long time and should be used by everyone teaching a course in Mesoamerican archaeology. Hendon and Joyce have done an outstanding job of integrating fresh essays by leading scholars into a text that is both theoretically informed and empirically up to date. The combination of theory and data make it an indispensable work." Michael Love, California State University, Northridge