Over 353 colour photographs
Over 163 illustrations

• A highly authoritative and accessible popular history of Mesoamerica and its many peoples from the Olmecs and Maya, to the Toltecs and Aztecs.



• Fully illustrated throughout with over 500 full-colour photographs and illustrations of places, objects and original illustrated documents.



• Over 150 artworks and maps offer fascinating insights into history.



• Discover Mesoamerican myths and legends, from creation tales to stories of the gods and goddesses, and the mythology of fertility, harvest and the afterlife.



• Packed with fascinating insights into history and mythology, providing essential information for school projects, home study and college essays.

This book offers enthralling insights into the history, myths and legends of the peoples of Mesoamerica. Stories of sun-gods and blood sacrifice, of pyramids and temples, and of the fabulous treasuries of gold raided by the Spaniards have fascinated generations of readers.

This book unravels the true facts behind the stories and looks at how myths and legends can tell us much about real history. More than 500 photographs, maps and illustrations are combined with an authoritative, inspiring text to tell the story of the great civilizations of the Mesoamerican peoples over thousands of years.

The magnificent architectural and cultural achievements of a succession of peoples in Mexico and Central Amaerica span almost 3000 years. These achievements range from the extraordinary temple-pyramids and colossal stone carvings of the Olmecs to the awe-inspiring cities, vast trading networks and complex religious societies and systems of the Aztecs and Maya.

This books contains startling revelations about these mysterious ancient peoples, including histories of the lands they conquered, the cities they built and the world they developed, long before any similar signs of culture evolved in Europe. It is an amazing tale, told in a beautifully designed and expertly edited volume that will be the only indispensable reference source on this subject that you will ever need.

About the Authors

Charles Phillips - Author

Charles Phillips is an established writer of popular history, a contributor to Cassell's Dictionary of Modern Britain as well as to the Chronicle of Britain and successful illustrated histories published by Dorling Kindersley, Guinness and Marshall Editions. He has a keen interest in the mythology and history of the great Maya and Aztec civilizations and was a key writer on Time Life's Myth and Mankind series.

David Jones - Author

David M Jones studied Anthropology and History at the University of California, Berkeley. He obtained a PhD in the Archaeology of the Americas at the Institute of Archaeology, University of London. Dr Jones is co-author of the Blue Guide Mexico and has written many articles on Mesoamerican and South American art for the Macmillan Dictionary of Art. He is co-author of The Mythology of the Americas (Lorenz Books) and the Kingfisher Book of Mythology.