War and Society in Ancient Mesoamerica (Hardcover, New)

In this study of warfare in ancient Mesoamerica, Ross Hassig offers new insight into 3000 years of Mesoamerican history, from roughly 1500 BC to the Spanish conquest. He examines the methods, purposes and values of warfare as practiced by the major pre-Columbian societies and shows how warfare affected the rise of the state. Unique in its approach as well as its scope, this investigation is directed at patterns of warfare, modes of combat, military technology, leadership styles and the reciprocal relationship between society and the military. Basing his discussion on the known expansion of given societies, their populations and the logistical constraints, the author finds that rulership, political goals and social structure all relate closely to war and conquest, which served to integrate Mesoamerica and maintain it as a cultural area. In tracing the chronological development of warfare, Hassig shows the congruence of his theories with what is known archaeologically and historically of specific areas of contact and expansion. Correlating basic forms of social organization with evolving types of combat and political configurations, he gives an original account of the causes and cons