Collecting for a New World: Treasures of the Early Americas - Hardcover

by John W. Hessler (Author)

The history of the early Americas is a story of before and after, defined and divided by a pivotal moment of contact between two distinct cultures. On the European side it is a tale of exploration, high-stakes treasure-seeking, and conquest. For indigenous Americans--including the Maya, the Nahua, the Ta no, and the Wari--it is the beginning of the end, a violent saga of disease, enslavement, and the loss of languages and rituals.

This collision of cultures comes to life in the manuscripts, maps, archaeological objects, and rare books that make up the collection of early American treasures in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Collecting for a New World: Treasures of the Early Americas relates these encounters through vivid illustrations and interpretive descriptions of more than sixty rare and priceless items.

In describing for the first time the journeys of the objects themselves--via African shipwrecks, secret meetings on airstrips, discoveries in castle libraries, and journeys into unknown archaeological sites hidden deep in the jungles of Guatemala--curator John Hessler reveals the role played by private collectors, whose knowledge, vision, and--in many cases, philanthropy--contribute so significantly to the collective understanding and interpretation of history and culture.

Back Jacket

...the sources of all history, whether written or oral, whether painted on pottery or etched onto a map, tell us something both about how great events happen and how those who lived through them dealt with their consequences. When we encounter the precious relics of our deep past we sense that we are entering a quiet room and that we can hear in the voices of writers, artists, potters, and everyday people, just a bit of the truth and a bit of the poetry that makes up all human experience.

Author Biography

When not searching through Maya ruins in Central America, climbing in the Alps or mountain biking through some jungle, John Hessler is the Curator of the Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Archaeology and History of the Early Americas at the Library of Congress and a Lecturer in Quantum Materials, Mechanics and Computing, in the Graduate School of Advanced Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Founder of the Archeo/LAB, his current teaching and research focuses on the theoretical materials science of archaeological remains, the topological structure of ancient DNA, and the quantum properties of ancient nano-materials like Maya Blue. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London, he is the co-director of the Mesoamerican Language, Theory and Decipherment Seminars, and is also on the faculty of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia where he teaches a seminar called the History & Construction of the Mesoamerican Codex. The author of more than 100 books and articles, including MAP: Exploring the World, his research and writing has been featured in many national media outlets including Discover, Wired, CBS News, The New York Times, The Washington Post and most recently on NPRs All Things Considered.