Summary
Ever since the violent end of the empire in 1521, the marvels and mysteries of Aztec Mexico have intrigued us. And in recent years, astounding discoveries from the excavation of the Templo Mayor in the heart of Mexico City have taught us even more about this fascinating culture. The increasing recognition that the achievements of Mesoamerican civilizations were among the most sophisticated of the ancient world has led to a demand for introductions to the basic methods and theories of archaeologists, art historians, and ethnohistorians working throughout the region.
Gathering the results of recent archaeological discoveries and scholarly research into a single volume, Handbook to Life in the Aztec World unlocks the secrets of this great empire. Organized in a highly accessible format, it contains in-depth coverage of Aztec history, geography, foods, trades, arts, games, wars, political systems, class structure, religious practices, trading networks, writings, architecture, science, and more. Detailed descriptions and more than 165 original line drawings pair with high-quality photographs, maps, and tables to bring the Aztec world to life, making this volume a perfect addition to any personal collection, classroom, or library.
Coverage includes:
- Mesoamerican Civilizations and Aztec Archaeology
- Evolution of Aztec Civilization
- Geography of the Aztec World
- Society and Government
- Warfare
- Religion, Cosmology, and Mythology
- Funerary Beliefs and Customs
- Aztec Art
- Aztec Architecture
- Nahuatl Literature
- The Calendar, Astronomy, and Mathematics
- Economy, Industry, and Trade
- Daily Life
- The Aztec after the Conquest and Today.
Specifications
168 black-and-white photographs and illustrations. 7 maps. Index. Appendix. Bibliography. Timeline. Tables.
About the Author(s)
Manuel Aguilar-Moreno is associate professor of art history at California State University in Los Angeles. He obtained a Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. A renowned expert on pre-Columbian civilizations and the colonial history of Mexico, Dr. Aguilar-Moreno has directed numerous research projects in Mexico. His publications cover a wide range of subjects, including Mesoamerican art and history, colonial art and history of Mexico, funerary art, and the pre-Columbian ballgame.
Foreword author John M.D. Pohl, Ph.D., is the Peter Jay Sharp Curator and Lecturer in the Art of the Ancient Americas at the Princeton University Art Museum. He is an eminent authority on American Indian civilizations and has directed numerous archaeological excavations in Mexico, Central America, Canada, and the United States. Dr. Pohl has published extensively on subjects ranging from human origins to the rise of the Aztec empire, and specializes in the decipherment of ancient pictographic writing systems.