Spain launched a vast project to learn about its territories in the New World in the years 1578 - 1584. The survey, known as the Relaciones Geográficas, collected local maps and gathered descriptions of local resources, history, and geography. The result was the most complete contemporary record of 16th century Mexico. The sixty-nine manuscript maps highlight the gulf between colonial and indigenous conceptions of Mexico. Mundy explores the complex cultural negotiations that colonists and indigenes undertook in mapping the colony and traces the gradual reshaping of indigene world views in the wake of colonization. Eight color plates and numerous b/w illustrations. A remarkable book. Hard bound, 267pp + index.

References:

Condition: A+