Historical Dictionary of MesoamericaMesoamerica is one of six major areas of the world where humans independently changed their culture from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle into settled communities, cities, and civilization. In addition to China (twice), the Indus Valley, the Fertile Crescent of southwest Asia, Egypt, and Peru, Mesoamerica was home to exciting and irreversible changes in human culture called the “Neolithic Revolution.” The changes included domestication of plants and animals, leading to agriculture, husbandry, and eventually sedentary village life. These developments set the stage for the growth of cities, social stratification, craft specialization, warfare, writing, mathematics, and astronomy, or what we call the rise of civilization. These changes forever transformed humankind. The Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica covers the history of Mesoamerica through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 900 cross-referenced dictionary entries covering the major peoples, places, ideas, and events related to Mesoamerica. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Mesoamerica. |
Contents
H | 147 |
I | 153 |
J | 161 |
K | 167 |
L | 179 |
M | 191 |
N | 219 |
O | 231 |
X | 349 |
Y | 353 |
Z | 361 |
Research Institutions | 363 |
Bibliography | 369 |
About the Authors | 415 |
Other editions - View all
Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica Walter Robert Thurmond Witschey,Clifford T. Brown Limited preview - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Ahaw Altar ancient Maya archaeological archaeologists architecture Aztec Balam ball court Basin of Mexico Belize buildings Calakmul calendar Caracol carved caves Central Mexico ceramic ceremonial Chaak Chan K’awiil Chiapanec Chiapas Chichén Itza circa Classic Maya Collapse Cocom codices complex Conquest Copan culture defined deities Early Classic period emblem glyph excavated first Guatemala hieroglyphic historical Honduras influence inich inscriptions Jaguar K’ak k’atun k’atun-ending K’inich kilometers king languages Late Classic Late Formative period Late Postclassic period Long Count dates maize Maya area Maya cities Maya lowlands Maya region Mayapan Mesoamerica meters Mexican Middle Formative period Mixtec modern monuments Nahuatl Naranjo northern Oaxaca Olmec Pacific coast Palenque Petén Piedras Negras Pilas plaza Popol Vuh Puuc pyramid Quirigua ritual ruled RULERS sacbé sacrifice sculptures Serpent significant Spanish stelae stone structures style Temple temple-pyramids Tenochtitlan Teotihuacan Terminal Classic period Texcoco Tikal TONINA Uxmal Veracruz Ware YAXCHILAN Yucatan Yucatec