Mesoamerica Collection

The Mesoamerican collections consist of both systematically excavated and donated materials. Mesoamerica includes the countries of Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and various islands. Many of these artifacts are associated with a specific archaeological site, while others are associated with a cultural group or geographical area. Cultural groups include Maya and Olmec, with systematic collections from the site of La Venta. The geographic areas are Valley of Mexico, Veracruz, Oaxaca, West Mexico (Colima and Nayarit), Central Plateau, and Yucatan.

The associated images and contextual information are representative of our larger holdings from Mesoamerica. Also available is a guide to the Robert J. Squier Archives. Between 1946 and 1972, Bob Squier conducted fieldwork in the Tabasco, Cuicuilco, and Veracruz regions in Mexico. The earlier excavations were as a field assistant to Philip Drucker and Robert Heizer at the University of California- Berkeley. Squier joined the KU faculty in 1958 and continued his research on the Olmec culture, excavating at the sites of La Venta, El Tiestal, San Larenzo, and Tres Zapotes. Squier’s fieldwork and research significantly added to the body of knowledge on Olmec archaeology in Mesoamerica.

Explore the Flickr Image Albums below: