Olmec Art and Archaeology in Mesoamerica, and: Greater Mesoamerica: The Archaeology of West and Northwest Mexico (review)

Mesoamerican archaeological research over the past one hundred years has predominantly concentrated on post-Formative developments in the Central Highlands and the Mayan region. Both Olmec Art and Archaeology in Mesoamerica and Greater Mesoamerica: The Archaeology of West and Northwest Mexico are important, therefore, because they present recent research that lies outside the primary interests of many Mesoamericanists. Undoubtably, Olmec studies have received greater emphasis, which is apparent in research efforts better equipped to address questions of culture process. In contrast, research in West and Northwest Mexico is still primarily oriented toward gathering baseline data and ironing out local culture histories.

One theme common to both volumes is a critical regard for the core-hinterland concept. The Gulf heartland has traditionally been viewed as the core of Formative Mesoamerica in the same way the Central Highlands have been viewed as a core relative to West and Northwest Mexico. These dichotomies have persisted, in part, because of the preeminence attributed to the spectacular archaeological remains in the Gulf heartland and Central Mexico. Overall, the authors collectively suggest that it is time to move beyond this perspective if we desire a better understanding of Mesoamerican prehistory. Both volumes represent a total of thirty-one chapters, so I will be selective with my comments.

Olmec Art and Archaeology is based on a symposium that accompanied the 1996 exhibit of Olmec art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The introductory comments by Mary Pye and John Clark emphasize that the volume goes beyond the aesthetics of Olmec art by reviewing a wide range of data enabling new interpretations of the Mesoamerican Formative period. In chapter 2, Richard Diehl sets the stage by summarizing previously unexplored research topics that are now being addressed. Overall, I think the volume still supports the view that the Olmec were the "cultura madre" of prehistoric Mesoamerica. What is emerging, however, is a recognition that social interaction throughout greater Formative Mesoamerica was extremely dynamic. As a consequence, it now appears that many traditions outside the Gulf may represent local variants of Olmec culture.

The volume is divided into three sections, the first consisting of seven chapters on research in the Gulf heartland. These chapters support each other well and are all worth reading. In particular, I enjoyed Phillip Arnold III's proposition that maize agriculture may have had little to do with the rise of Olmec complexity in the lowlands. Citing a lack of credible Early Formative evidence for maize, he suggests that access to seasonal backwater lakes may have been more important. This idea is consistent with the rise of San Lorenzo, a site virtually surrounded by backwater habitats. I also appreciated Christopher Pool's discussion of Late Formative Tres Zapotes in the Tuxtlas area. He suggests that the Olmec cultural shift to the Tuxtlas region coincided with the appearance of iconography highlighting the legitimization of rulership in the face of increasing competition. This complements Barbara Stark's suggestion in chapter 3 that the Late Formative Gulf societies had become closed in part because of population increase. In addition, Susan Gillespie provides a descriptive chapter on the fascinating sculpture from Laguna de los Cerros. The recent Gulf research is exciting, although one aspect that continues to limit what we know about the area is substantial data on lowland settlement patterns.

The second section consists of three chapters on research outside the Gulf region. The contributions by Christine Niederberger and John Clark and Mary Pye argue that ranked societies in the Basin of Mexico and the coast of Chiapas were coeval with lowland Gulf developments. These propositions challenge...