This is a general history of the cultures and civilizations of pre-Hispanic Peru from pre-history to the Conquest. Although archaeological excavation, together with analytical study of colonial chroniclers, began in the early part of the twentieth century, the scope of investigation has been greatly intensified over the last two decades, with spectacular results. This is the first book for the general reader and student to incorporate these fresh insights and discoveries, and is as highly readable and engaging as its penetrating and informative.

"This outstanding study spans four rich civilizations in ancient Mexico, from 1500 B.C. to the Spanish conquest soon after A.D.1500: The "Olmecs," hunters and farmers who worshipped the man-jaguar and became the first great carvers in stone and jade. The culture of "Teotihuacan," with its sumptuous palaces and gigantic Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. The "Toltec" dynasty, whose temples, wreathed with carvings of predatory beasts, serpents and warriors, testify to a new militaristic phase in Mexican history. The "Aztecs," fierce empire-builders whose gods demanded complex rituals and the blood of human sacrifice. Writing for students, travellers and non-specialists, Nigel Davies puts these fascinating cultures into historical context. Drawing on the latest research, he discusses their arts, beliefs and customs, and their changing economic and political conditions, to build up a vivid picture of life in the kingdoms of ancient Mexico." --provided by Goodreads.

Providing an original overview covering nearly 4,000 years of history, the book includes approximately 350 works reproduced in lush colour illustrations: a large selection of pre-Columbian treasures, masterpieces dating from the colonial era and striking modern paintings and sculptures from the first half of the 20th century, many reproduced here for the first time. The book is divided into three sections: the mythologies and rituals of ancient Andean civilizations; their perpetuation, concealment, or hybridisation with Catholicism during the 18th and 19th centuries; and the rediscovery of Peruvian popular traditions and faiths in the 20th century, mainly due to the popular Indigenist movement.

This volume accompanies a major international loan exhibition featuring more than three hundred works of art, many rarely or never before seen in the United States. It traces the development of gold working and other luxury arts in the Americas from antiquity until the arrival of Europeans in the early sixteenth century. Presenting spectacular works from recent excavations in Peru, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico, this exhibition focuses on specific places and times—crucibles of innovation—where artistic exchange, rivalry, and creativity led to the production of some of the greatest works of art known from the ancient Americas. The book and exhibition explore not only artistic practices but also the historical, cultural, social, and political conditions in which luxury arts were produced and circulated, alongside their religious meanings and ritual functions. Golden Kingdoms creates new understandings of ancient American art through a thematic exploration of indigenous ideas of value and luxury. Central to the book is the idea of the exchange of materials and ideas across regions and across time: works of great value would often be transported over long distances, or passed down over generations, in both cases attracting new audiences and inspiring new artists. The idea of exchange is at the intellectual heart of this volume, researched and written by twenty scholars based in the United States and Latin America.

Lake Titicaca and the vast region surrounding this deep body of water contain mysteries that we are just beginning to unravel. The area surrounding the world's highest navigable lake was home to some of the greatest civilizations in the ancient world. These civilizations were created by the ancestors of the Aymara and Quechua peoples who continue to live and work in Peru and Bolivia along the shores of this ancient body of water. This lavishly illustrated book provides a state-of-the-art description and explanation of the great cultures that inhabited this land from the first migrants ten millennia ago to the people who thrive here today. We will also discover the world of myth and legend that has grown up around this mysterious place, including the lost continent of Mu, the land of Paititi, El Dorado and the many mystic ruins of Titicaca. We then explore the results of a century of scientific research that provide an even more fabulous tale than the legends and myths combined. This book is an indispensable guide for any visitor who has an interest in archaeology, history and culture. It is likewise an excellent introduction for the interested reader who yearns to know more about this fascinating place.

"Thorough studies such as this are relatively rare in the northern Peruvian coast archaeological literature. This pioneering work is the first English-language excavation monograph detailing the material culture of the Casma polity."--Jonathan D. Kent, Metropolitan State College, Denver Melissa Vogel's Frontier Life in Ancient Peru offers a new perspective on ancient Peruvian life and geopolitics during a pivotal period of Andean cultural transformation between AD 900 and AD 1300. Focusing on the frontier site of Cerro la Cruz in the Chao Valley (located on the northern border of the Casma polity), this volume richly details the role of cross-cutting social networks and the dynamics of shifting political boundaries in prehistoric north coast Peru. The rise of the Chimú Empire caused the Chao Valley to become a border zone between the Casma and their encroaching neighbors. The artifacts recovered from sites in this area paint an illuminating picture of the everyday lives of ancient Andean people in this unique yet--until recently--under-studied culture. Vogel's systematic and comprehensive volume synthesizes information about the societies in this region while also expanding and clarifying the definition of Casma-style ceramics and architecture for comparison with other sites. As the first English-language work on the Casma polity, this is a powerful new resource for understanding an important pre-Inca culture as well as a fascinating investigation of the forces at work in the development and collapse of complex societies. Melissa A. Vogel is assistant professor of anthropology at Clemson University.