Greater Mesoamerica ─ The Archaeology of West and Northwest Mexico

Mesoamerican studies, as they are still practiced today, are framed by the Spanish colonial intrusion into Mexico from the east, and subsequent involvement with the Aztec Empire. Greater Mesoamerica expands the definition of "Mesoamerica" beyond the more traditionally accepted central Mexican areas to both western and northwestern Mexico where sophisticated cultures were flourishing outside the realm of Spanish influence. It is the first comprehensive overview of both regions since the Handbook of Middle American Indians was published in the early 1970s.

Based on recent archaeological surveys and excavations, the chapters in this volume provide current, comprehensive, area-by-area summaries of the region's Precolumbian past, noting the discovery of new cultural configurations, new connections, and new complexities.

Michael Foster is a senior archaeologist and senior project director for the cultural resources division at Logan Simpson Design in Tempe, Arizona. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Shirley Gorenstein is a professor emerita of anthropology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She lives in New York City.