A fascinating, concise and comprehensive description of the rise, glory and fall of the Olmec and Maya civilizations. The volume is dedicated to the Olmec and the Maya, the two main Mesoamerican civilizations that developed in the tropical regions, the green heart of the southeast. The sequence of the chapters allows readers to follow the cultural development of the tropical regions in chronological order, commencing with the Olmec chiefdoms; it then moves on to investigate the extraordinary development of the Maya city states of the Classic Period, which represent the artistic treasures of the southern forests. General themes such as art, religion, ball playing, writing and calendars are discussed in the text, thus varying and lightening its strictly historical and chronological approach. Written for non-specialist readers, the book uses clear and easily understandable language. It presents the Olmec and Maya civilizations in the light of the most recent discoveries and interpretations, striving to counter the perpetuation of old cliches that, even now, hinder a full understanding of the dynamic cultural and political events of these distant lands. AUTHOR: Davide Domenici, archaeologist, is an expert on the ancient civilizations of pre-Columbian America. He has participated in archaeological studies in Peru (Nazca), Chile (Rapa Nui) and Mexico (Teotihuacan). Since 1998 he has directed the Rio La Venta Archaeological Project in the Mexican state of Chiapas. He is currently a researcher at the Faculty of Paleography and Medieval Studies of the University of Bologna, where he teaches Native American Civilizations.