Offering an alternative to traditional textbooks, MesoamericanArchaeology: Theory and Practice places the reader in themiddle of contemporary debates by top archaeologists activelyexploring the major prehispanic societies of Central America. Offers a comprehensive introduction to the archaeology ofMesoamerica by focusing on key time periods, sites, and the issuesthese times and places require us to confront. Examines key moments in the Mesoamerican historical tradition,from the earliest villages where Olmec art flourished, to the Aztecand Maya City-states that Spanish invaders described in the 16thcentury. Engages the chronological benchmarks of precolumbian socialdevelopment in Mesoamerica, such as the transition to village life,emergence of political stratification, and formation ofMesoamerican urban centers. Includes an extensive introduction by the editors that situatescontemporary Mesoamerican archaeology in the broader terms of thesocial politics of archaeology. For further resources to use with this book - including studyquestions, maps and photographs - visit the website atwww.blackwellpublishing.com/BSGA/mesoam