Ancient civilizations of the New World / Richard E.W. Adams.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 135-146) and index.

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1. Introduction: Complex Cultures, Cities, and a Rapid Survey of the Earliest Old World Civilizations. Old World Pristine Civilizations. Summary and Discussion -- 2. Mesoamerica: Origins and Early Civilizations. Laying the Basis for Civilization: 7000-1500 B.C. The Olmec of the Gulf Coast. The Izapan Group of Cultures. The Origins of Civilization in the Valleys of Mexico and Oaxaca. The Maya Lowlands. Teotihuacan. Monte Alban and the Classic Zapotecs of Oaxaca. Classic Maya Civilization -- 3. Mesoamerica: Transformations and the Late Civilizations. Catastrophe, Disasters, Recoveries, and Transformations. Late Classic Maya Civilization and the Great Collapse. El Tajin: A Transitional Regional Civilization. Tula and the Toltecs. Late Maya Civilizations. Zapotecs and Mixtecs in Oaxaca. The Tarascans of Western Mexico. The Totonac of the Gulf Coast. The Aztecs and Their Empire -- 4. The Central Andes of South America: Origins and Early Civilizations. Geography. Earliest Inhabitants and Cultures. Early Villages and Regional Centers (5500-2000 B.C.). Growth and Transformations (2000-800 B.C.). The Early Horizon (Chavin). Early Civilizations: Moche, Nazca, the Central Coast, and Tiwanaku (200 B.C.-A.D. 600) -- 5. The Central Andes of South America: Late Civilizations and the Inca. Fall and Transformation on the North Coast. The Huari Empire. The Chimu Kingdom and Chan Chan. Inca Civilization.

Publisher description: In this concise, yet sweeping look at the origins and development of ancient New World civilizations, Richard Adams provides a superb introductory overview of these unique and fascinating cultures. Incorporating the latest breakthroughs in the study of the cultures of Mesoamerica and the Andes, Adams examines the development of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca peoples, among others, from simple agricultural societies to urban civilizations with complex transportation networks, distinct social hierarchies, rich artistic and religious traditions, and writing systems that have defied anthropological investigation until recently. The question of why these thriving cultures collapsed so suddenly when faced with the European conquest is explored, as are comparisons with ancient Old World civilizations of the Middle East and Asia.

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