An illustrated history of the pre-Spanish civilizations of Mexico, beginning with the early hunters and continuing through the Aztecs; covering early village life, the rise of Olmec civilization, archaeological findings, Aztec society, and other topics.

Geographic setting --12 -- Languages and peoples -- 16 -- Periods -- 18 -- 2 Early Hunters -- 20 -- 3 Archaic Period -- 28 -- Desert Culture in North America -- 28 -- Origins of Mexican cultivated plants -- 29 -- Importance of maize -- 30 -- Other cultigens -- 33 -- Caves and rockshelters of northeastern Mexico -- 34 -- Santa Marta rockshelter -- 35 -- Tehuacan Valley -- 36 -- Other Archaic sites -- 39 -- Archaic period and the origins of settled life -- 40 -- 4 Preclassic Period: Early Villagers -- 41 -- Early Preclassic in Chiapas -- 43 -- Early Preclassic villagers in Oaxaca -- 45 -- Site of Tlatilco -- 46 -- Established villages of the Middle Preclassic -- 51 -- Late Preclassic cultures of the central highlands -- 52 -- Mezcala puzzle -- 55 -- Shaft-tomb art of western Mexico and the Teuchitlan Tradition -- 56 -- 5 Preclassic Period: Early Civilizations -- 61 -- Background of civilized life -- 61 -- Olmec civilization -- 62 -- San Lorenzo Olmec -- 68 -- El Manati -- 72 -- Olmec of La Venta -- 73 -- Tres Zapotes and the Long Count calendar -- 77 -- Olmecs beyond the heartland -- 79 -- Early Zapotec civilization -- 91 -- Izapan civilization -- 98 -- La Mojarra and the Isthmian script -- 99 -- 6 Classic Period -- 101 -- Rise of the great civilizations -- 101 -- Urban civilization of Teotihuacan -- 103 -- Great Pyramid of Cholula -- 120 -- Cerro de las Mesas -- 121 -- Classic Veracruz civilization -- 122 -- Classic Monte Alban -- 124 -- Classic downfall -- 130 -- 7 Epiclassic Period -- 131 -- Maya connection: Cacaxtla and Xochicalco -- 131 -- Cholula -- 138 -- Cantona -- 138 -- El Tajin -- 139 -- Remojadas potters -- 142 -- Valley of Oaxaca -- 145 -- Northwestern Mexico -- 146 -- End of the Epiclassic -- 148 -- 8 Post-Classic Period: The Toltec State -- 149 -- A time of troubles -- 149 -- Chichimeca of northern Mexico -- 151 -- Toltec annals -- 152 -- Archaeological Tula -- 155 -- Tula and Chich'en Itza -- 171 -- 9 Post-Classic Period: Rival States -- 175 -- Late Zapotec culture at Mitla -- 175 -- Mixtecs -- 176 -- Tarascan kingdom -- 181 -- Casas Grandes and the northern trade route -- 184 -- Rise of the Aztec state -- 184 -- Consolidation of Aztec power -- 187 -- 10 Aztecs in 1519 -- 190 -- Island city -- 190 -- Aztec society -- 194 -- Long-distance merchants -- 196 -- Becoming an Aztec -- 197 -- Marriage -- 198 -- Triple Alliance and the Empire -- 199 -- Emperor and the palace -- 201 -- Food and agriculture -- 202 -- War and human sacrifice -- 203 -- Aztec religion -- 205 -- Aztec art and architecture -- 212 -- Aztec thought and literature -- 221 -- Spanish Conquest -- 225 -- New Spain and the Colonial world -- 229 -- "Ladinoization" of Mexico -- 230 -- Aftermath -- 231 -- Visiting Mexico -- 232 -- Reigning Monarchs of the Aztec State -- 236.