Overview

The Oxford Handbook of the Olmecs provides an up-to-date overview of research on this most elaborate of Mesoamerica's foundational cultures (ca. 1450-400 BCE). Few objects of study have sparked more debate in Mesoamerican studies than the role of Olmec culture in the origins of that region's civilizations, with some seeing it as the mother from which all significant cultural developments sprang and others as one of several ""sister cultures,"" each contributing substantially to the emergence of civilization. While acknowledging this debate, this volume moves beyond it with framing articles that discuss the theoretical and social significance of Olmec research, as well as empirical summaries of recent archaeological, art-historical, archaeometric, and environmental research. It also presents topical perspectives on Olmec economy, society, polity, and belief, in addition to forward-looking articles that review the current state and future directions of Olmec research. Part I introduces the volume with articles on the history of Olmec studies, the theoretical importance of Olmec archaeology, and a review of longstanding debates over Olmec origins. Part II presents recent research on the ecology of the tropical lowland environment and regional settlement pattern studies, while Part III digs deeper into the archaeological record with summaries of recent excavations at key sites in Olman--the ""Olmec heartland""-and beyond. Part IV looks beyond the Gulf Coast with up-to-date summaries of the Formative archaeological records in other parts of Mesoamerica, focusing on the local character and social context of participation in interregional networks. Together, Parts II, III, and IV lay the empirical basis for the topical essays that follow in Part V on Olmec subsistence, economy, society, governance, and artistic expression. The volume closes with three comparative articles that reconsider the place of the Olmecs in Mesoamerican studies and anthropological archaeology. The result is one of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging volumes on the Olmec in recent decades.

Full Product Details

Author:   Christopher A. Pool (University Research Professor in Anthropology, University Research Professor in Anthropology, University of Kentucky) ,  Carl J. Wendt (Professor of Anthropology, Professor of Anthropology, California State University, Fullerton)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 18.30cm , Height: 5.40cm , Length: 25.00cm
Weight:   1.583kg
ISBN:  

9780190900304

ISBN 10:   019090030
Pages:   856
Publication Date:   11 March 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Recent Trends in Olmec Studies Christopher A. Pool and Carl J. Wendt Part I: Framing the Olmecs in History, Theory, and Heritage 2. The History of Olmec Studies, 1862-2020: Confusion, Contention, and Consensus Richard A. Diehl 3. The Olmecs and Archaeological Theory Rosemary A. Joyce 4. Olmec Origins: One by Land, Two by Sea Richard A. Diehl Part II: Environment and Formative Settlement Patterns in Olman 5. Overview: Environment, Polity, and Regional Variation in Olmec Settlement Christopher A. Pool 6. Formative Settlement in the San Lorenzo Region: Roberto Lunagómez Reyes 7. Preclassic Settlement in the La Venta Region William F. Rust 8. The Eastern Olmec: Refining Regional Cultural and Landscape Chronologies During the Epoch of the Hallstatt Plateau Christopher L. von Nagy 9. Formative Settlement in the San Juan Drainage and Tuxtlas Piedmont Hirokazu Kotegawa 10. Formative Settlement in the Tuxtla Mountains Lourdes Budar and Philip J. Arnold, III 11. Formative Settlement on the Western Margin of Olman Michael L. Loughlin and Christopher A. Pool Part III: Site-Level Explorations 12. San Andrés and the Archaic Antecedents of Olmec Culture Mary DeLand Pohl, David L. Lentz, Christopher L. von Nagy, Dolores R. Piperno, Lisa Duff, and Kevin O. Pope. 13. Pre-Olmec and Olmec Rituals and Settlements of the Lower Coatzacoalcos River Basin, Veracruz Maria del Carmen Rodríguez, Ponciano Ortiz Ceballos, and Alberto Ortiz Brito 14. San Lorenzo: The First Olmec Center Carl J. Wendt 15. The Cantón Corralito Colony: Two Centuries of Gulf Olmecs Abroad David Cheetham 16. Discovering La Venta: A Century of Research Rebecca González Lauck 17. Arroyo Pesquero: A Middle Formative Olmec Ritual Cache Carl J. Wendt 18. Olmec Horizons at Chiapa de Corzo Bruce R. Bachand 19. Quiotepec-Oxtotitlan: Olmec in Guerrero? When? Paul Schmidt, Christopher L. von Nagy, Mary DeLand Pohl, and Eliseo F. Padilla Gutiérrez 20. La Joya, Veracruz: Lessons from an ""Alternative Olmec"" Philip J. Arnold, III 21. Tres Zapotes: A Resilient Center in Western Olman Christopher A. Pool Part IV: Regional Perspectives from Beyond Olman 22. Early and Middle Formative Interactions and Central Mexico Wesley D. Stoner and Deborah L. Nichols 23. The Olmec Phenomenon in Morelos Mario Córdoba Tello, Jaime F. Reséndiz Machón, and Giselle Canto Aguilar 24. The Mixteca Alta Andrew Balkansky and María T. Palomares Rodríguez 25. What is Olmec in Guerrero? Gerardo Gutiérrez and Mary E. Pye 26. The Valley of Oaxaca and the Southern Isthmus Marcus Winter 27. Early and Middle Formative Settlement and Society in the Chiapas Central Depression Timothy D. Sullivan 28. Olmecs in Soconusco John E. Clark 29. Pacific Coast of Guatemala Michael Love and Julia Guernsey 30. The Olmec and the Origins of Maya Civilization George J. Bey, III 31. Central America Rosemary A. Joyce and John S. Henderson Part V: Perspectives on Olmec Economy, Society, and Ritual Section I: Living and Making 32. The Olmec Diet Amber M. VanDerwarker and Tanya M. Perez 35. Of Cabbages and Kings: Gulf Olmec Subsistence Strategies Philip J. Arnold, III and Thomas W. Killion 34. Ceramic Crafting: Early Olmec Style Pottery Jeffrey P. Blomster, David Cheetham, and Christopher A. Pool 35. Chipped Stone Procurement, Technology, and Use Charles L.F. Knight 36. Ground Stone Manufacture and Lapidary Carving Olaf Jaime-Riverón (DR) 37. Bitumen Procurement, Processing, and Use Carl J. Wendt Section 2: Meaning, Expression, and Ritual 38. Mortuary Practices during the Preclassic Period Vera Tiesler and Mónica Rodríguez Pérez 39. Monumental Sculpture Jill Mollenhauer 40. The Human Form in Portable Art: Figurines, Masks, and Busts Christopher A. Pool 41. Iconography and Religion Karl A. Taube 42. The Case for Olmec Writing Stephen D. Houston 43. Sacred Landscape: Architecture, Cosmology, Ritual Carolyn E. Tate Section 3: Organization, Interaction, and Power 44. Rural Residences in the San Lorenzo Hinterland Robert Kruger and Carl J. Wendt 45. Sex and Gender in Olmec Imagery Billie Follensbee 46. Olmec Exchange Networks Hector Neff. Jeffrey P. Blomster, and Michael Glascock, and Wesley D. Stoner 47. Olmec Political Economies John E. Clark Part VI: Reconsidering the Olmecs for the Future 48. A View from Olman: Where Do We Go from Here? Carl J. Wendt 49. Some Anthropological Questions for the Future of Olmec Archaeology Robert Rosenswig 50. The Olmecs in Global Context Robert C. Drennan, C. Adam Berrey, and Christian E. Peterson

Reviews

Author Information

Christopher A. Pool is University Research Professor in Anthropology at the University of Kentucky. His previous books include Olmec Archaeology and Early Mesoamerica, The Oxford Handbook of Mesoamerican Archaeology (co-edited with Deborah L. Nichols), and Settlement Archaeology and Political Economy at Tres Zapotes Veracruz. Carl J. Wendt is Professor of Anthropology in the Division of Anthropology at California State University, Fullerton.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions