�An essential guide to the art and architecture of ancient Central America.� �Colonial Latin American Historical ReviewMary Ellen Miller evocatively surveys the artistic achievements of the high pre-Columbian civilizations�Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Aztec�as well as those of their less-well-known contemporaries. Their pyramids and palaces, jades and brightly colored paintings emerge from these pages as vividly as when they first astonished Cortes�s men in 1519. The fifth edition of this standard work incorporates new color images and extensive updates based on the latest research and discoveries. The revisions include a rewritten and extended chapter on Teotihuacan; up-todate analysis of the links between the Olmecs and the Maya; a discussion of new discoveries at the heart of the Aztec capital that continue to astound students of Mexico; and much more. 250 illustrations, 185 in color