Birds and Beasts of Ancient Mesoamerica

Birds and Beasts of Ancient Mesoamerica: Animal Symbolism in the Postclassic Period edited by Susan Milbrath and Elizabeth Baquedano

This new volume, published by the University Press of Colorado, links Precolumbian animal imagery with scientific data related to animal morphology and behaviour, providing in-depth studies of the symbolic importance of animals and birds in Postclassic period Mesoamerica.

According to Elizabeth Baquedano:

“This book is written by leading Mesoamerican archaeologists and art historians. It is the only one of its type that explores Animal Symbolism in the Postclassic Period in Mesoamerica. The native Mesoamericans were acute observers of nature and that is reflected in the material culture through a rich symbolism.”

Throughout the history of Mesoamerica real animals were merged with fantastical creatures, creating zoological oddities not unlike medieval European bestiaries. The Postclassic period was characterized by an iconography that was shared from central Mexico to the Yucatan peninsula and south to Belize.

In addition to highlighting the symbolic importance of non-human creatures in general, the volume focuses on the importance of the calendrical and astronomical symbolism associated with animals and birds.

According to reviewer Virginia E. Miller, University of Illinois Chicago, this new volume is:

“A refreshing update that fills a gap in our current understanding of animal imagery and symbolism in the last centuries before the Spanish conquest.”

#Archpodnet Podcast

• Listen to Elizabeth and Susan being interviewed about their book on The Archaeology Show

Further details

• University Press of Colorado