The Oxford Handbook of the Olmecs

Abstract The Oxford Handbook of the Olmecs provides an overview of recent research on this most elaborate of Mesoamerica’s foundational cultures (ca. 1450–400 BC). Few objects of study have sparked more debate in Mesoamerican studies than the role of Olmec culture in the origins of that region’s civilizations, with some seeing it as the mother from which all significant cultural developments sprang and others as one of several “sister cultures,” each contributing substantially to the emergence of civilization. While acknowledging this debate, this volume moves beyond it with framing chapters that discuss the theoretical and social significance of Olmec research; empirical summaries of recent archaeological, art-historical, archaeometric, and environmental research; topical chapters presenting new perspectives on Olmec economy, society, polity, and belief; and forward-looking chapters that review the current state and future directions of Olmec research.