The Caste War of Yucatan (1847-1901) is widely regarded as the most successful Indian rebellion in the New World. An attempt by the Maya to rid themselves of foreign domination and revitalize their traditional culture, the conflict led to successful agrarian reform and the reassertion of traditional land use by the Maya. It also generated a new religion with its own priesthood and cultural practices focused on the worship of a prophetic "talking" cross. This war's economic and cultural transformations provide blueprints for understanding present-day Mexico and the expansion of capitalism...

In this volume, thirteen anthropological archaeologists working in historical time frames in Mesoamerica, including editors Susan Kepecs and Rani Alexander, break down the artificial barrier between archaeology and history by offering new material evidence of the transition from native-ruled, prehispanic society to the age of Spanish administration. Taken together, the chapters contained herein cover most of the key Mesoamerican regions that eventually came under Spanish control.

The authors bring new empirical information to bear on the problem of how prehispanic social, political,...