Author Description

This handsome volume presents the creations of the Olmec, an enigmatic and influential people whose Mesoamerican society was precursor to the later Maya and Aztec civilizations. The book provides a framework for understanding Olmec art and archaeology and discusses recent spectacular finds--wooden busts, jade celts, and rubber balls--in the context of settlement patterns, religious practices, and ritual. Studies in the History of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington