Urnas de Oaxaca

389 pages with plates (some in color) and bibliography. Quarto (12 1/2" x 8 1/4") issued in blue cloth with gilt lettering to spine and cover and blind stamped ruled edge to cover. With Thermolumineszenzdatierung und Neutronenaktivierungsanalyse von Urnengefassen aus Oaxaca by Christian Goedicke, Sabine Henschel and Ursel Wagner. Bassler-Archiv, Neue Folge, Band XL (1992) pages 65 thru 86 (Berlin). Memorias del Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia II. Limited to 1500 copies. First edition.

The Zapotec, whose ancient culture flourished for over a millennium in southwest Mesoamerica, have been the topic of a diversity of studies primarily because their unique history provides clues about the origins of civilization and how urban societies evolve. As with other ancient societies, focus on their archaeological record has been key for inferring certain aspects of human behavior and cultural development, such as technology, subsistence, exchange, residential patterns, scribal traditions and political organization. One aspect of their material culture has received special attention, the so-called Zapotec urn, a type of ceramic vessel with anthropomorphic or zoomorphic effigies attached. Because these artifacts are rich in iconographic information, their study has offered an unparalleled source of information on ancient Zapotec society.

Condition:

Corners bumped, spine ends rubbed else a very good copy.