THE TOLTEC HERITAGE: From The Fall Of Tula To The Rise Of Tenochtitlan

golden yellow cloth hardcover 8vo. (octavo). dustwrapper in protective plastic book jacket cover. fine cond. mint cond. looks new. like new. as new. binding square & tight. covers clean. edges clean. contents free of markings. dustwrapper in vg cond. minor soiling, sunfading, not torn or price clipped. nice clean copy. no library markings, store stamps, stickers, bookplates, no names, inking, underlining, remainder markings etc~. first edition so stated. first printing (NAP). xii+401p. 27 glossy b&w illustrations. 3 b&w maps. appendix. notes & references. bibliography. index. history of mexico. aztec history. american indian history. religion. astronomy. mythology. ~ The history of the Valley of Mexico in pre~Conquest times, particularly of the period between the Toltec and Aztec empires (A.D. 1200~1428), has long been something of a mystery, entangled in controversy and legend and largely unexplored by modern scholars. In this volume Nigel Davies has undertaken an orderly, analytical examination of the period to provide a detailed account based on the most logical interpretations of the written documents and archaeological evidence. The first part of the book deals with the various invaders of the Valley of Mexico after the fall of Tula, the Toltec capital, about the year 1200: the Chichimecs, nomads dressed in skins, followed by the Tepanecs, the Acolhuas, and others, who carved out for themselves small empires. The author examines closely the story of Xolotl, the great Chichimec chief, and comes to the rather startling conclusion that the account of his "empire" is to a considerable degree apochryphal, belonging as much to legend as to history. There is also a penetrating analysis of the relationship between the nomadic and sedentary peoples on the shifting frontiers of Middle America. The latter part of the book covers the rise of the Tepanec Empire during the reign of Tezozomoc (1371~1426). The founding of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, the rebellion of the Aztecs in 1426, and their subsequent rise to empire brought an end to the Toltec teign. An important facet of The Toltec Heritage ~and a valuable aid to readers~is the examination of chronology and the correlation of native and Christian dates. In the process the author determined that the Mesoamericans used more than one calendar, a point that has been in dispute for decades, and offers new and conclusive evidence in support of his thesis. In this first book~length work on this period Nigel Davies has made a real contribution to Mesoamerican scholarship. The Toltec Heritage is a worthy sequel to the author's The Toltecs: Until the Fall of Tula. All scholars and laymen interested in pre~Conquest history will find it good reading.…