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by Robert Bircher (Introduction by), J. K. Jackson (Editor)
Highlighting the long and intricate history behind the myths and legends of the Aztecs, the Maya, the Toltecs and the Olmecs.
Gorgeous Collector's Edition. Mesoamerican culture is rooted in the region of modern Mexico where some 3500 years ago ancient peoples called the Olmecs farmed and created beautiful art and pottery at roughly the same time as the Middle Kingdom Ancient Egyptians, the Babylonians and a little after the Indus Valley societies of India. After the Olmecs many different groups emerged, amongst them the sophisticated Maya 200 years after the beginning of the Common Era. In turn they would be superseded by the Toltecs, during the long period that the Vikings swept across the length of Europe in search of silver. Another precious metal, gold, was plentiful in the Americas, the control of which was mastered by the successors of the Toltecs, the Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, who grew to dominate the region from the 13th to the 15th Century. Soon they would lend their name to the a great new city, Mexico. Through a fascinating selection of historical texts on the region and a thoughtful new introduction summarising how we understand the region today, his book traces the development of the early peoples, the emergence of some of the key civilizations of the many rich and varied societies of Mesoamerica, ending tragically with arrival of the Spanish explorers hungry for land, and for Aztec gold. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction: authors, myths, tales and history without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new Introduction and a Glossary of Terms or lists of Ancient Leaders.Author Biography
Dr Robert Bircher is an author and consultant in the field of educational publishing. Since completing his doctorate (Oxon, 1998) in historical geography, Dr Bircher has dedicated his career to authoring, commissioning, developing and publishing high-quality educational materials for History and Geography courses in the UK and internationally. As a consultant, he has been involved in a wide range of projects, including training editors working on Kazakh-language primary textbooks, advising on diversity and decolonization of History publishing, editing a primary series of books on ancient civilizations and, most recently, a publishing project on Indigenous American history. He lives and works in Hereford, near the border with Wales.
J.K. Jackson (General Editor) has written, edited and contributed to over 20 books. Related works include studies of Babylonian creation myths, the philosophy to time and William Blake's use of mythology in his visionary literature.
