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Mesoamerican & Andean Art

Research aid for students in Prof. Patrick Hajovsky's classes at Southwestern University

Selected Internet Resources

Here are some websites that feature helpful information on Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian art:

  • Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies (FAMSI) An invaluable tool for pre-Columbian studies internationally and the principal source for research of ancient culture.
  • Meso Web is devoted to the ancient cultures of Mexico and adjacent Central America, including the Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Aztec, and Maya
  • Maya Vase Database This site features photographs of vases, plates, and bowls from Mesoamerican cultures
    • Mesolore A research and teaching tool on Mesoamerica

     

    Image courtesy of Explore Mesolore

    Journals

    Links to leading academic journals on Mesoamerican art, provided through SU's subscription databases (JSTOR, Project Muse, E-Journal):

    Reference

    Oxford Art Online Oxford Art Online provides Web access to the entire text of The Dictionary of Art, ed. Jane Turner (1996, 34 vols.) and The Oxford Companion to Western Art, ed. Hugh Brigstocke (2001). It offers ongoing additions of new and updated articles, over 1,500 thumbnail art images and line drawings displayed in the text of articles, extensive image links, and sophisticated search and navigation tools. Search for the word "Maya" in the Index A-Z.

    Oxford Bibliographies Online

    Essential Databases

    Bibliografia Mesoamericana (FAMSI): A free, groundbreaking indexing project jointly developed by the University of Pennsylvania's Museum Library and the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies (FAMSI).  The Mesoamerican Bibliography provides access to the scholarly literature on ancient Mesoamerica from 1960 to date.

     

    PRISMA (Publicaciones y Revistas Sociales y Humanísticas): A comprehensive reference resource providing full-text scholarly journals in the social sciences and humanities for the interdisciplinary academic study of Hispanic and Latin America, and the Caribbean Basin.

    Articles in PRISMA examine all aspects of Hispanic Studies, from research on indigenous cultures past and present to current economic indicators, politics and society, and Hispanic theatre. Coverage of subject areas is comprehensive and includes Anthropology, Business and Economics, History, Literature, Political Science and Sociology.

    Full-text journals in PRISMA include América Latina Hoy, Boletín Americanista, Historia, Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies, and Revista Hispánica Moderna.

    Interdisciplinary Databases

    • Academic Search Complete Provides full text coverage for more than 5,990 general and scholarly publications covering academic areas of study including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. Updated daily. Guide to using Academic Search Complete

    • Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) Bibliography of selected Latin American writings on the social sciences and humanities. Edited by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress, this reference work is updated annually and available online.

    • HAPI Online (Hispanic American Periodicals Index) Provides citations to worldwide information about Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean basin, the United States-Mexico border region, and Hispanics in the United States. Coverage is 1970 to the present and includes articles, book reviews, documents, original literary works, and other materials appearing in more than 500 social science and humanities journals. Many of the citations are linked to full text.

    • Historical Abstracts This database is an exceptional resource that covers the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 forward, including world history, military history, women?s history, history of education, and much more. This authoritative database provides selective indexing of historical articles from more than 1,800 journals in over 40 languages back to 1955.

    • JSTOR is an electronic archive of scholarly journals from the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. Each of the 624 titles is an essential or primary one for its field. The JSTOR database is unique because the complete backfiles of core scholarly journals (excluding the most recent five years) have been digitized, starting with the first issues, many of which date back to the 1800s. On the JSTOR homepage, you can search using subject links. For articles on Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican art, try Anthropology, Archeology, Art & Art History, History, and Latin American Studies.  JSTOR tutorials

    • Project Muse Provides full image journal articles in the humanities and social sciences, in particular the areas of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, and many others. Project Muse Tutorials

    Image courtesy of WorldImages

    Films On Demand

    Films on Demand is a multi disciplinary database that provides online, streaming videos from Films Media Group. Many full-length videos are available and they cover the subject areas of anthropology, art and architecture, history, literature, languages, and more. Films on Demand Tutorials

    • Search the title library by title or segment using keywords, subjects, and other criteria.
    • You can access a list of available individual titles and subject-specific collections.
    • Organize videos into folders, and create personal playlists for others to view.
    • Films on Demand can be accessed 24/7.