{"product_id":"discovering-the-olmecs-an-unconventional-history-paperback-softback-9781477309858","title":"Discovering the Olmecs; An Unconventional History (Paperback \/ softback) 9781477309858","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eDiscovering the Olmecs\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eAn Unconventional History\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eDavid C. Grove (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781477309858, University of Texas Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 1 November 2014\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e207 pages\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.313 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eWhat a great book!  Grove, an archaeologist who has spent his professional career doing fieldwork in Mesoamerica, has produced an eminently readable account of the Olmec, one of the most well-publicized yet least well-known cultures of pre-Hispanic Mexico. Highly recommended.\u003c\/div\u003e (Choice)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Olmecs are renowned for their massive carved stone heads and other sculptures, the first stone monuments produced in Mesoamerica. Seven decades of archaeological research have given us many insights into the lifeways of the Olmecs, who inhabited parts of the modern Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from around 1150 to 400 BC, and there are several good books that summarize the current interpretations of Olmec prehistory. But these formal studies don’t describe the field experiences of the archaeologists who made the discoveries. What was it like to endure the Olmec region’s heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and ticks to bring that ancient society to light? How did unforeseen events and luck alter carefully planned research programs and the conclusions drawn from them? And, importantly, how did local communities and individuals react to the research projects and discoveries in their territories?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this engaging book, a leading expert on the Olmecs tells those stories from his own experiences and those of his predecessors, colleagues, and students. Beginning with the first modern explorations in the 1920s, David Grove recounts how generations of archaeologists and local residents have uncovered the Olmec past and pieced together a portrait of this ancient civilization that left no written records. The stories are full of fortuitous discoveries and frustrating disappointments, helpful collaborations and deceitful shenanigans. What emerges is an unconventional history of Olmec archaeology, a lively introduction to archaeological fieldwork, and an exceptional overview of all that we currently know about the Olmecs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePreface\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 1. The Olmecs Come to Light\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 2. The Tulane Expedition and the Olmec World (1925–\u003cbr\u003e1926)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 3. The First Excavations: Tres Zapotes (1938–\u003cbr\u003e1940)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 4. Stone Heads in the Jungle (1940)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 5. Fortuitous Decisions at La Venta (1942–\u003cbr\u003e1943)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 6. Monuments on the RÍ\u003cbr\u003eo Chiquito (1945–\u003cbr\u003e1946)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 7. The Return to La Venta (1955)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 8. Of Monuments and Museums (1963, 1968)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 9. Adding Antiquity to the Olmecs (1966–\u003cbr\u003e1968)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 10. Research Headaches at La Venta (1967–\u003cbr\u003e1969)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 11. Reclaiming La Venta (1984 to the Present)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 12. San Lorenzo Yields New Secrets (1990–\u003cbr\u003e2012, Part 1)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 13. El ManatÍ\u003cbr\u003e: Like Digging in Warm Jell-O (1987–\u003cbr\u003e1993)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 14. \"\u003cbr\u003eThey're Blowing Up the Site!\"\u003cbr\u003e Tres Zapotes after Stirling (1950–\u003cbr\u003e2003)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 15. An Olmec Stone Quarry and a Sugarcane Crisis (1991)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 16. Discoveries Large and Small at San Lorenzo (1990–\u003cbr\u003e2012, Part 2)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 17. The Night the Lights Went Out (2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapter 18. Some Thoughts on the Archaeology of the Olmecs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBibliographic Essay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndex\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"University of Texas Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52589101154584,"sku":"9781477309858","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/discovering-the-olmecs-an-unconventional-history-paperback-softback-9781477309858","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}