Davide Domenici Book order

Meant as a homage to the memory of Robert McCormick Adams and born out of a conference organized at the University of Bologna to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of his book The Evolution of Urban Society: Early Mesopotamia and Prehispanic Mexico (1966), the volume brings together contributions by scholars tackling ancient urbanism from different regions and theoretical perspectives aiming at providing elements that could enhance cross-cultural dialogue and cross-fertilization between various theoretical and methodological approaches. The book opens with a theoretical contribution to notions such as cooperation, collective action, and social networks, followed by an essay providing a view of Teotihuacan urbanism based on a new understanding of its corpus of mural paintings. As for the near eastern side, the outreach of the Late Uruk culture outside southern Mesopotamia is evaluated vis-a-vis the emergence of Late Chalcolithic elites tackled through an analysis of large-scale resources distribution networks. The implications of surface surveys for studying early Syro-Mesopotamian urbanism are discussed in the framework of two newly designed field projects, while the specific subject of water management is reviewed through a study case in Central Asia. Finally, Adams’ contributions between 2000 and 2012 are set into perspective and the volume closes with a complete bibliography of Robert McCormick Adams, highlighting his amazing contribution to many research areas and especially to the study of ancient urbanized landscapes.

The volume is dedicated to the Olmec and the Maya, the two main Mesoamerican civilizations that developed in the tropical regions, the green heart of the southeast.

Modern peoples have always been fascinated with the iconic architecture, mystical religious beliefs, and once-thriving societies of the ancient Aztecs. From the fertile areas of the Oaxaca Valley and the Valley of Mexico to the great deserts of the north, this authoritative resource explores the development of the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs and their predecessors. Organized chronologically, it describes the native cultures, from the earliest farming villages to the establishment of great states and urban civilizations such as Teotihuacan and Monte Alban. By investigating the connections between these civilizations and the more obscure civilizations of northern Mexico, it offers readers insight into the birth of new cultures such as the Toltec Empire. An engagingly written, thoroughly researched text and superb photography explore, in-depth, such topics as the Aztec calendar, religion, society, and political organization, providing fresh insight into the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the Aztecs.

"The great number of civilizations that developed on the American continents before the arrival of Europeans depends on the vast extension of the territory. The purpose of this book is certainly not to mention all of them, nor to provide a definitive study of any of them. Instead, the purpose is to provide an overview of the great variety of styles, materials and techniques employed in the arts of the different areas, from prehistory to the sixteenth century, by presenting some of the most significant works that were produced. Although the selection dedicates more images to the most famous of the pre-Columbian cultures located in Mesoamerica and the Andes, it also takes in numerous other cultures among all of those that occupied the Americas. The Spanish and Portuguese conquests and later those of the English, French and Dutch, led to an abrupt change in the lives of the populations that touched and, in many cases, to a more or less sudden interruption of their culture and artistic production. It is only thanks to archaeological research and those few materials that were saved from the destructive fury of the conquerors ? in some cases because they were sent to European sovereigns as gifts - that today it is possible to admire the splendour of these works of art and to perceive, if only from a distance, the artistic sensibility of the men who made them" -- Provided by publisher.

From legendary Teotihuacan to the mysterious El Tajin, from Palenque to Chichen Itza, all the most famous Mexican archaeological sites are presented here. Great architectural complexes, monumental sculptures, sophisticated ceramic objects and superb items of jewelry bear testimony to the culture and refinement of the people who lived in this part of Mewoameric before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.