John Pohl is an eminent authority on American Indian civilizations and has directed numerous archaeological excavations and surveys in Canada, the United States, México, and Central America as well as Europe. He is the author of several books on the ancient worlds of Mesoamerica including Exploring Mesoamerica (Oxford), The Aztec Warrior: 1325-1519 (Osprey), The Politics of Symbolism in the Mixtec Codices (Vanderbilt) and The Legend of Eight Deer (Oxford) which he also illustrated. Curator of the Art Museum at Princeton University, his unusual background in archaeology, art history, theater, and film production have taken him from museum exhibition design and development to writing, producing, designing, and directing feature and television productions. He is currently designing a new museum for the Mississippian archaeological park at Moundville, Alabama.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION:
      Mesoamerica?          Printable version
           Geography
           Origins of Civilization

CHRONOLOGY:
      Mesoamerican Timeline           Printable version
           PreClassic Period
           Classic Period
           PostClassic Period

ART AND WRITING IN ANCIENT MESOAMERICA:
      General Developments           Printable version
              PreClassic Map 1
              PreClassic Map 2
              Classic Map
              Epi-Classic Map
              PostClassic Map
      Olmec and Zapotec Writing
      Maya Writing

MAJOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: PreClassic to PostClassic          Printable version

THE AZTECS:          Printable version
              Beginnings
              Tenochtitlán
              Monumental Sculpture
              Aztec Society
                   Empire Building
                   Warfare
                   Daily Life

THE MEETING:          Printable version
              Two Points of View
              Historical Records of the Conquest

ANCIENT BOOKS:
      Highland México Codices
              Mixtec Group Codices          Printable version
                   Codex Bodley
                   Codex Selden
              Borgia Group Codices          Printable version
                   Codex Fejervary Mayer
                   Codex Laud
                   Codex Rios

      Lowland Maya Codices
              A comprehensive look at the Maya Codices by Randa Marhenke for FAMSI

In addition, courtesy of Akademische Druck - u. Verlagsanstalt - Graz, Austria, FAMSI now provides access to the Graz facsimiles of the ancient accordion fold books created hundreds of years ago by Aztec, Maya and Mixtec scribes.
              Graz Facsimile Codices

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