Exploring Mesoamerican Indigenous Cultures
Background resources to help you explore Ancient Mexican Cultures
There are a number of steps you can take to make it easier to find information about Ancient Mexican Cultures.
- Use our resources to find background material and possible research questions about your culture
- Use those same resources to find out alternative names and spellings for your selected culture
- Many of the resources listed on this tab contain maps that may be useful for your assignments
Some of these resources are online and some are only available in print.
DO NOT IGNORE THE PRINT ONLY ITEMS. THEY MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES YOU FIND!!!
Here are some examples of print only resources:
Handbook of Middle American Indians, 1964-76, 16 vols., plus supplements, F1434.H3, 5th floor S. Supplements are newer and have unique call numbers. There is online access to some volumes and supplements.
Bernandino de Sahagun, General History of the Things of New Spain: Florentine Codex, 1950-1982, 12 Books in 13 pts. (vols.), F1219.S13. (Several volumes are currently missing. I am trying to acquire this online.) We also have several other versions of this in Spanish.
Online Reference Resources for Mesoamerican Indigenous Cultures
Online Reference Resources for Ancient Mexican Cultures
These databases contain background materials in the form of full text reference works, some of which we also have in print. In addition, ehraf databases have full text of books and articles on some of the cultures in the hraf, human relations area files collections.
- eHRAF Archaeology This link opens in a new windowProvides information for over 50 major archaeological traditions from all parts of the world, including prehistoric life and cultural sequences. Includes the full-text of books, articles, and dissertations which are searchable down to the paragraph level.
- eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new windowCovers cultural anthropology and includes full-text materials on over 150 cultural, ethnic, religious, and national groups around the world. The database is specifically designed for cross-cultural research. Can search keyword and subjects to locate full-text books, articles, dissertations and field reports down to the level of the paragraph.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Provides searchable full-text e-book versions of over 3,500 reference works, including multi-volume encyclopedias, biographical collections, business plan handbooks, company history compilations, consumer health references, and specialized handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. in a wide range of subject areas. - Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online This link opens in a new window Now part of MUSIC ONLINE. Music research of all the world's peoples with regional overviews explaining musical heritage, traditions, themes and a description of specific musical genres, practices, and performances. Also contains illustrations and sound recordings.
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window Includes Grove Art Online, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, Oxford Companion to Western Art, and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Provides artist biographies, thematic timelines, over 40,000 image links. Limited to 25 simultaneous CSU system-wide users.
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window This music encyclopedia includes the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, New Grove Dictionary of Opera, New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Grove Dictionary of American Music, Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Oxford Companion to Music, Oxford Dictionary of Music and the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. It is recommended to students of all levels as a beginning point for research.
- Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window Includes Childhood Studies, Latin American Studies, Latino Studies, Psychology, Social Work and Sociology. The annotated bibliography with supporting explanations presents the preeminent research on these subjects. Editors are distinguished scholars in their field and resulting citations are highly recommended.
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowCollection of 260+ Reference books; including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and books of quotations, includes resources in a wide range of fields.
Audiovisual and Image Materials for Mesoamerican Cultures
- AP Images This link opens in a new windowAvailable via EBSCO. An image database of millions of photographs and graphics from AP, the Associated Press. Photographs: color and B&W, dating from 1826 to the present. Graphics: maps, diagrams, drawings etc. Also includes audio files (sound clips) dating from the 1920s. The database is strongest since 1997, but there is a good deal of older, historical material. The database is updated every minute, daily, so that photos of current events are instantly available. All photos/graphics/audio is copyrighted material owned by the Associated Press, but available to subscribers for educational use.
- Smithsonian Global Sound This link opens in a new window Now part of MUSIC ONLINE. An international database of traditional and historical music recordings from across the world which can be searched by country, cultural group, artist, instrument, genre, and more. Highlights of the collection are in folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and old time country music as well as musical traditions from Africa, the Americas, and Asia. For current music see the complementary database, 'Contemporary World Music.' It is possible to create individual playlists or course folders for entire classes.
- ARTstor This link opens in a new window Database available via ARTstor. Digital images of works of art with accompanying information including size and ownership. Includes over one million images in the areas of art, architecture, and the humanities. Technical requirements http://www.artstor.org/using-artstor/u-html/requirements.shtml NOTE 1: Pop-up blocking software must be disabled. NOTE 2: Requires Flash 6 or higher.
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window Includes Grove Art Online, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, Oxford Companion to Western Art, and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Provides artist biographies, thematic timelines, over 40,000 image links. Limited to 25 simultaneous CSU system-wide users.
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window This music encyclopedia includes the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, New Grove Dictionary of Opera, New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Grove Dictionary of American Music, Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Oxford Companion to Music, Oxford Dictionary of Music and the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. It is recommended to students of all levels as a beginning point for research.
Organizations & Museums
- FAMSI-Foundation for the Advancement of MesoAmerican StudiesUnfortunately this site has not been switched to https, so it is not deemed safe. The content appears to be ok, but has not been updated since 2007
Databases for the study of Mesoamerican Indigenous Cultures
Use these databases to find records and, in some cases, full text for journal articles, books, and book chapters 
on the Ancient Cultures of Mesoamerica
- Anthropology Plus This link opens in a new windowThis database is available on EBSCO and covers all areas in anthropology, including social, cultural, physical, biological, medical, linguistic, applied, political, and visual anthropology; ethnography, ethnology, archaeology, folklore, human ecology, museum studies, material culture, and primatology. It indexes journal articles, reports, commentaries, edited works, and obituaries published in over 2500 journals and edited works in English and other European languages. Limited to 10 simultaneous users.
- AnthroSource This link opens in a new window This database is available via Wiley platform. A full-text archive of all American Anthropological Association (AAA) journals, newsletters, bulletins, and books. Links to older issues via JSTOR.
- eHRAF Archaeology This link opens in a new windowProvides information for over 50 major archaeological traditions from all parts of the world, including prehistoric life and cultural sequences. Includes the full-text of books, articles, and dissertations which are searchable down to the paragraph level.
- eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new windowCovers cultural anthropology and includes full-text materials on over 150 cultural, ethnic, religious, and national groups around the world. The database is specifically designed for cross-cultural research. Can search keyword and subjects to locate full-text books, articles, dissertations and field reports down to the level of the paragraph.
- Prisma with HAPI Index This link opens in a new window Provides full-text scholarly journal articles in the social sciences and humanities for Latin American Studies, the Caribbean Basin, and Hispanics, Latinos and Chicanos in the United States. Subject areas include Anthropology, Business and Economics, History, Literature, Political Science and Sociology. Offers key titles indexed HAPI Online. Languages: Spanish, English and Portuguese.
- HAPI Online Hispanic American Periodicals Index This link opens in a new windowIndexes scholarly journal articles, book reviews, documents, original literary works, and other materials about Central and South America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean basin, the United States-Mexico border region, and Hispanics, Latinos and Chicanos in the United States. Topics include Anthropology; Archaeology; Ethnology; Art; Economics and Business; Geography; Government and Politics; International Relations; Literature; Music; Philosophy; and Sociology. Languages: Spanish and Portuguese.
- Academic Search Premier General database via EBSCO that covers a wide range of research resources, including core subjects such as applied science, art, education, humanities, law, social science, business, and technology. A good place to start research.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window A digital interdisciplinary archive of over 1,000 leading academic journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. JSTOR also includes other valuable materials for academic work, such as select monographs, photographs, manuscripts, speeches, maps, and pamphlets. All collections are full-text searchable, offer search-term highlighting, include high-quality images, and are interlinked by millions of citations and references.
- Handbook of Latin American Studies - HLAS This link opens in a new windowIndexes articles, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings on Latin America and the Caribbean. The multidisciplinary Handbook, edited by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress Coverage includes: Anthropology; Archaeology; Ethnology; Art; Economics; Electronic Resources (beginning in 1995); Geography; Government and Politics; International Relations; Literature; Music; Philosophy; and Sociology. Primary Languages: Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new windowCovers the history of the world from 1450 to the present, excluding the United States and Canada. Useful in the fields of history, multicultural studies, sociology, psychology, women's studies, religion, interdisciplinary studies, anthropology, political science, education, music & art, law. It indexes journal articles, books and dissertations. For the history of the U.S. and Canada, see 'America: History and Life' database.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowSearch for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all subjects. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.
If you have problems connecting, go to the main Google Scholar page (https://scholar.google.com/) where you will find a link to Settings. Once you click on it, you'll be taken to a page with "Library Links" on the left side. Search for Fullerton or "California State University Fullerton" and once you check the box next to "California State University Fullerton - Pollak Library FindIt!" you'll see the links appear.
Note - if we have it electronically, a link will appear on the right. If we have it in print, you'll have to click on "More" under the article to get the FindIt! link. - Scopus This link opens in a new window
Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature – scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Delivering a comprehensive overview of the world’s research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine social sciences and arts and humanities, Scopus features smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research. From researchers pursuing scientific breakthroughs to academic institutions and government agencies evaluating research, Scopus is the abstract and indexing database of choice.
- Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century This link opens in a new windowArchives of Latin America and Caribbean History, Sixteenth through Twentieth Century contains over 1.3 million pages of primary source material providing information about the indigenous peoples of the region, the Conquest (la Conquista), colonial rule, religion, struggles for independence, and political, economic, and social progress and issues in newly independent nations. In addition to keyword searching, users can access the collection by Person, Topic, Event, Named Work, and Country. The historical collections provide original manuscripts, signed letters, expedition records, reports, maps, diaries, descriptions of voyages, ephemera, and more and support researchers, postgraduates, and undergraduates with interests in regional studies, history, political science, anthropology, sociology, economics, and international relations.