The Aztecs

Richard Townsend's The Aztecs has established itself as the best introduction available to this ancient Mesoamerican culture. Beginning with a dramatic narrative of the Spanish conquest, the text then charts the rise of Aztec civilization from humble nomads to empire builders. Within a hundred years the Aztecs established the largest empire in Mesoamerican history, and at Tenochtitlan built a vast, shimmering city in a lake, a Venice of the New World. The revised edition features new illustrations of key archaeological sites, pictorial manuscripts, and major monuments. Significant text revisions reflect data from recent archaeological excavations and ethnohistoric studies, widening the picture of Aztec culture beyond the metropolitan capitals. New information on topics ranging from local craft manufacturing, trade, farming, and food to architecture, social organization, and women's roles portrays the texture of life in villages and regional centers. In many ways this cultural fabric links the Aztecs to their Mesoamerican predecessors and may be seen and experienced in Mexico today.

Richard Townsend is now Curator of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas at The Art Institute of Chicago.