The beginnings of Mesoamerican civilization : inter-regional interaction and the Olmec /

Anthropologist Rosenswig (Univ. of Albany-SUNY) provides a new approach to an important archaeological question--the Olmec problem--suggesting that Early Formative Mesoamerica (1250-900 BCE) is best understood as an archipelago of complex sedentary societies interacting with one another over long distances and separated by migratory populations. These "islands" of culture shared Olmec artistic aesthetics that defined the Mesoamerican culture area. Citing the fierce theoretical debates among senior scholars, the author frames the Olmec world from the perspective of the Soconusco area of the Pacific Chiapas and Guatemala coast, focusing on his excavation of the small site of Cuauhtemoc, which serves as an index for regional development. Rosenswig documents his refreshing approach with important studies of ceramics, figurines, obsidian, and iconography. Topics include an assessment of horizon styles, settlement patterns, architecture, subsistence, feasting activities, and inter-regional exchange. This volume, derived from his 2005 Yale dissertation, is cogently organized into nine logical chapters supplemented by 69 figures, 10 tables, 30 endnotes, and 522 references. His compelling, innovative assessment is distinct from other significant works: Olmec to Aztec (Barbara Stark and Philip Arnold III, 1997), The Olmecs: America's First Civilization (Richard Diehl, CH, Jun'05, 42-5948), and Olmec Archaeology and Early Mesoamerica (Christopher Pool, 2007). Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. C. C. Kolb National Endowment for the Humanities