The HAHR does not often review second editions of scholarly works. The reappearance of a major study, long out-of-print, however, warrants at least a notice. Originally published in 1959 by the Centro de Investigaciones Antropológicas de México, the two-volume Esplendor del México antiguo is again available in an enlarged and modified form. Some of the original chapters have been corrected to take account of recent anthropological findings, and a new concluding chapter brings the reader up-to-date on advancements in Mesoamerican anthropology since the appearance of the original edition.
Esplendor del México antiguo was conceived as a scholarly rebuttal to José Vasconcelos’ famous public pronouncement: “Mexican culture and art began with the arrival of the Spaniards.” The community of Mesoamerican anthropologists (both Mexican and foreign) reacted with dedication and fervor. Forty-eight essays were assigned to elucidate the major themes of pre-Columbian life in the territory comprised by modern Mexico and northern Central America. Leading Mexican scholars, such as Ignacio Bernal, Miguel León Portilla, Fernando Horcasitas, Justino Fernández, Wigberto Jiménez Moreno and Eulalia Guzmán, worked together with distinguished counterparts from other countries—Hasso von Winning, H. B. Nicholson, George Kubler, Hans Lenz, Frederick Peterson, Charles Wicke and others. The resulting tour de force, profusely illustrated with photographs and maps, testified admirably to the vitality, perception and sensitivity of pre-Columbian life and culture. The unintended impetus provided by Vasconcelos yielded a study which has nicely weathered the passage of time. Mexicanists are pleased that it is available once again.
