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.
Grade 9 Up–A comprehensive, engaging examination of Aztec history and culture based on recent archaeological discoveries and excavations in Mexico City. Meticulously organized chapters present accessible information on such topics as geography, government, warfare, daily life, religion, architecture, economy, and astronomy. The readable format consists of two neatly spaced columns of text per page, with appropriate subdivisions and well-positioned visual matter. A plethora of instructive aids such as a bibliography in each chapter, line drawings, well-composed and -reproduced black-and-white photographs, and accurate maps enhances this authoritative work. A general bibliography, a list of museums containing relevant collections, a selection of Aztec poems, and a thorough index round out this resource. Michael E. Smith's
The Aztecs (Blackwell, 2002) also provides a scholarly yet readable study of Aztec life, and it can be used as a supplement to this book. A remarkable look at the grandeur of an ancient civilization.
–Hillary Jan Donitz-Goldstein, formerly at New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
This entry in Facts On File's Handbooks to Life series is, as far as layout and design, typical of the series. It is arranged topically rather than dictionary-style, but it has a good index. Illustrations consist of line drawings and small photographs, and there are a few maps. There is a pronunciation guide for Nahuatl terms, which is very helpful. Facts are dependably presented, and there is a long bibliography.
Fourteen chapters cover topics such as "Geography of the Aztec World," "Warfare," "Aztec Architecture," and "Economy, Industry, and Trade." Each chapter is broken down into easily identified subentries; the chapter "Religion, Cosmology, and Mythology," for example, has sections on the structure of the Aztec universe, the main Aztec myths, the Aztec gods, rituals, and human sacrifice. The topical approach results in some repetition; for example, the chinampas, or floating gardens, that provided the Aztecs with more arable land are described in several places in the text. The writing is fairly academic.
Aguilar-Moreno is an associate professor of art history at California State University, Los Angeles, and his interest in art makes the chapters on art, architecture, and literature a substantial part of the work. He spends nearly as much time on the provenance of surviving Aztec codices as he does on the content of the literature. The chapter on architecture has a city-by-city description of major surviving Aztec architecture. The life of the people, on the other hand, is crowded into a single chapter on "Daily Life." A final chapter summarizes post-conquest Aztec contributions to Mexican society. One of the highlights at the end of the book is an appendix of Aztec poems in English.
Suitable for larger public libraries and academic libraries with undergraduate courses in Mesoamerican history, this volume complements The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures: The Civilizations of Mexico and South America (2001). Kathleen Stipek
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