TY - BOOK AU - Diehl,Richard A. TI - The Olmecs: America's first civilization T2 - Ancient peoples and places SN - 0500021198 (cloth) AV - F1219.8.O56 D54 2004 U1 - 972/.01 22 PY - 2004/// CY - London PB - Thames & Hudson KW - Olmecs KW - History KW - Antiquities KW - Mexico KW - Civilization KW - Indian influence N1 - Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-202) and index N2 - Publisher description: The Olmecs of southern Mexico are America's oldest civilization and Mesoamerica's 'Mother Culture'. Profusely illustrated, this attractively written survey will become the standard work on this enigmatic culture for students and anyone interested in pre-Columbian America. Long famous for their Colossal Heads carved from giant boulders, the Olmecs have fascinated the public and archaeologists alike since the 1940s. Despite well-publicized discoveries, until recently almost nothing was known about Olmec history, foreign contacts and daily life. Now archaeologists have recovered information that allows them to assemble a remarkably broad picture of Olmec culture and its impact on later Mexican civilizations. The Olmecs presents the first modern overview of information from recent archaeological field projects and studies of Olmec art. In addition to detailed consideration of Olmec life, it examines the Olmec presence in the surrounding areas of Mexico and their role in the formation of pre-Columbian civilization ER -