On this page you will find books about Ancient Americans of Mexico and Central America (Mesoamerica) and South America—those people who lived before the European invasion. Wikipedia supplies a thorough list. Here is another helpful Wikpedia page on the Pre-Columbian Era.

This page mostly does not include Ancient North Americans. Those may be found on the American Indian, Indigenous American Index. However there may be cases where a certain book would be appropriate to list here also.

Perhaps the best known of these peoples are the
Mayas (2600 BC–1697 AD), Mexican Southern states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatán Peninsula; Central America: Belize; Guatemala; El Salvador; Honduras;
Aztecs (1325–1521 AD), central Mexico; and the
Incas, (1438-1533 AD), South America, especially Peru in the Andes Mountains, but at its pinnacle, parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Central Chile,and Columbia.

They are recognized for their beautiful art, architecture, fascinating culture and spiritual traditions.These three were especially large and successful civilizations, but there were numerous smaller cultures residing in the Americas and Caribbean. There is so much we may learn about and from these gifted and intelligent peoples.

The Codices listed below are two of the treasures still extant which have preserved not only gorgeous artwork, but essential information about these people's cultures. The materials on this page provide a fascinating study, and I hope you will explore these wonderful books. Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful images below associated with these people: art, architecture, and the natural surroundings in which they lived. The first one seen below is The Pyramid of the Sun and the Avenue of the Dead, viewed from the top of The Pyramid of The Moon. They are the symbol of Teotihuacán, an ancient civilization (100-200 AD) which once existed in today's central Mexico.

Codices & Art

Coloring Books

Books with CD-ROM

Non-Fiction

Plays

Fiction