Animals played a central role in the lives of ancient Mesoamericans. They were watched for signs of seasonal changes which carried portents of the future. They were pathways for communicating with the gods. They spoke to the people, having special powers to communicate with humans.
In this volume, 17 scholars contribute 14 essays on the role of beasts and birds in Mesoamerican life and religion. Some are real animals and others are merged into fantastical creatures. Examples come from some of the best known sites in Mesoamerica—the great Maya center at Chichén Itzá, the Toltec capital at Tula, the huge city of Teotihuacán, and the Aztec capital at Tenochtitlan. Their use probably dates to Middle Classic Olmec times (circa 1100 B.C.) and continues through the Spanish conquest. Some rulers even kept animals in zoos where they could easily be studied.
Bird and Beasts in Ancient Mesoamerica is an important addition to the growing study of Mesoamerican iconography that is providing new insights into the lives of the rulers and people of these great cultures.