Overview
Includes case studies of specific geographic areas to provide a comprehensive overview of the wider Mesoamerican region
Condenses and explains evidence from found objects, rock carvings, historical accounts, and sacred texts
Interdisciplinary scope relevant to archaeology, anthropology, art history, sociology, landscape and cultural studies
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (11 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
Pre-Columbian Andean and Mesoamerican cultures have inspired a special fascination among historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, as well as the general public. As two of the earliest known and studied civilizations, their origin and creation mythologies hold a special interest. The existing and Pre-Columbian cultures from these regions are particularly known for having a strong connection with the natural landscape, and weaving it into their mythologies. A landscape approach to archaeology in these areas is uniquely useful shedding insight into their cultural beliefs, practices, and values. The ways in which these cultures imbued their landscape with symbolic significance influenced the settlement of the population, the construction of monuments, as well as their rituals and practices.
This edited volume combines research on Pre-Columbian cultures throughout Mesoamerica and South America, examining their constructed monuments and ritual practices. It explores the foundations of these cultures, through both the creation mythologies of ancient societies as well as the tangible results of those beliefs. It offers insight on specific case studies, combining evidence from the archaeological record with sacred texts and ethnohistoric accounts. The patterns developed throughout this work shed insight on the effect that perceived sacredness can have on the development of culture and society.
This comprehensive and much-needed work will be of interest to archaeologists and anthropologists focused on Pre-Columbian studies, as well as those in the fields of cultural or religious studies with a broader geographic focus.
Editors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Pre-Columbian Landscapes of Creation and Origin
Editors: John Edward Staller
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-76910-3
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, History (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag New York 2008
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-387-76909-7Published: 11 April 2008
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4899-8501-9Published: 19 September 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-0-387-76910-3Published: 12 March 2008
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XII, 389
Topics: History, general, Anthropology, Archaeology, Regional and Cultural Studies, Geology, Ecology