Regional Perspectives on the Olmec

Edited by Robert J. Sharer and David C. Grove The archaeological culture known as the Olmec has long been associated with the genesis of civilization in Mexico—the transition from simple, agricultural societies to near-urban states during the Mesoamerican Formative, which culminated in the empire of the Maya. This volume brings together ten archaeologists working on the period offering new interpretations and regional syntheses and re-evaluating the role of the Olmec in the crucial developments of the Formative. Particular attention is given to the interaction between different geographical regions—including the Olmec areas of the Gulf Coast traditionally regarded as the home of Mesoamerican civilization—revealing that all these regions played a crucial role in the evolutionary process. 1989. 418 pp., Figures, tables, maps, notes, references, index., 6 x 9 Contributors: Michael D. Coe, Arthur A. Demarest, Richard A. Diehl, John Graham, David C. Grove, Thomas A. Lee Jr., Gareth W. Lowe, Joyce Marcus, Robert J. Sharer, Paul Tolstoy

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List of figures List of Tables Foreword by Jonathan Haas Preface Acknowledgments Part I Introduction

1. Olmec Studies: a status report Robert J. Sharer
2. Olmec: what’s in a name? David C. Grove

Part II The Olmec Heartland

1. Olmec archaeology: what we know and what we wish we knew Richard A. Diehl
2. The heartland Olmec: evolution of material culture Gareth W. Lowe
3. The heartland Olmec: evolution of ideology Michael D. Coe

Part III The Olmec Heartland

1. Coapexco and Tlatilco: sites with Olmec materials in the Basin of Mexico Paul Tolstoy
2. Chalcatzingo and its Olmec connection David C. Grove
3. Zapotec chiefdoms and the nature of Formative religions Joyce Marcus
4. Chiapas and the Olmec Thomas A. Lee, Jr.
5. Olmec diffusion: a sculptural view from Pacific Guatemala John Graham
6. The Olmec and the Southeast periphery of Mesoamerica Robert J. Sharer

Part IV Conclusions

Western Mesoamerica and the Olmec Paul Tolstoy
The Olmec and the rise of civilization in eastern Mesoamerica Arthur Demarest

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