The Aztecs: New PerspectivesHow did a bedraggled band of nomads manage to evolve into a Mesoamerican superpower in such a brief time? This volume looks at the essential elements in the Aztecs' rise, fall, and enduring influence. A wealth of new archaeological findings and interpretations has sparked a richer understanding of the Aztecs, dispelling many myths. The Aztecs: New Perspectives looks at evidence from ancient, colonial, and modern times to present a contemporary, well-rounded portrait of this Mesoamerican culture. Like no other volume, it examines daily Aztec life both at, and away from, the seats of power, revealing the Aztecs to be accomplished farmers, astronomers, mathematicians, and poets—as well as ruthless warriors and tireless builders of empire. The Aztecs ranges from the mysterious origins of the Aztlan tribe to the glory years of empire and ultimate defeat. But the story doesn't end there. To present the most complete picture possible, the author goes to the most fascinating source available—the living ancestors who keep the Aztec language and many aspects of their ancient worldview alive. There is no better volume for exploring the realities of Aztec life as it was, and as it influences our world today. |
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agricultural Anthropology archaeological archaeologists Axayacatl Aztec capital Aztec culture Aztec empire Aztec Realm Aztec ruler Aztec society Aztec-Period Aztlan Bandelier 1932 Basin of Mexico Berdan Blanton building cacao calendar calmecac calpulli Carrasco Central Mexico ceramic ceremony chinampas communities conquest Cortés dedicated deity documents Dumbarton Oaks early colonial Economies and Polities elite emperor excavations feather festival flower wars goddess gods Hassig Hodge and Michael Huitzilopochtli human sacrifice included indigenous inside the Sacred Institute for Mesoamerican Itzcoatl lakes land León-Portilla maguey maize Mary G Matos Moctezuma 2003 Mesoamerican Studies Mexico City Michael E Moctecuhzuma Montellano 1990 Morelos Nahuatl obsidian Olguín Ortiz de Montellano pochteca political population Precinct in Tenochtitlan Precolumbian Prehispanic priests refer rituals Sacred Precinct Sahagún Sanders Smith Spanish stone Studies on Culture temple Templo Mayor Tenochtitlan Teotihuacan Tepanecs Texas Press Texcoco Tezcatlipoca tlahtoani Tlaloc Tlatelolco tlatoani tribute University of Texas Valley of Mexico warriors