The Art of Mesoamerica (World of Art)

"An essential guide to the art and architecture of ancient Central America."―Colonial Latin American Historical Review

Mary Ellen Miller evocatively surveys the artistic achievements of the high pre-Columbian civilizations―Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Aztecas well as those of their less well-known contemporaries. Their pyramids and palaces, jades and brightly colored paintings emerge from these pages as vividly as when they first astonished Cortes's men in 1519.

The fourth edition of this standard work includes exciting new discoveries, from Palenque, Mexico, where architecture and sculpture reveal a dramatic eighth century, to San Bartolo, Guatemala, where Maya paintings have riveted an international audience. Continuing hieroglyphic decipherments provide fresh insights. The revised edition of the Art of Mesoamerica is the ideal companion for art historians, students, and travelers alike. 220 illustrations, 136 in color