The Sea in the Pre-Columbian World: A Conference at Dumbarton Oaks, October 26th and 27Th, 1974

The sea appears prominently in the art, myth, and archeological implications of Pre-Columbian America. From figures on sculpture at Chavìn de Huántar holding strombus and spondylus shells to shells found in highland burials in Mesoamerica located far from the sea, its importance is self-evident. The seven papers collected in The Sea in the Pre-Columbian World range from art history to zoology, and each demonstrates how the sea acted as one of the most important forces in the lives of the people of Pre-Columbian America.