The Aztecs

Description

Five hundred years ago, the landing of Hernan Cortes in Mexico marked the end of the Aztec Empire. This volume presents the wealth of this culture with spectacular, sometimes unpublished finds: rare feathered shields, impressive stone sculptures, precious mosaic masks and goldwork as well as brilliantly coloured illustrated manuscripts bring the world of the Aztecs to life. The publication provides comprehensive insight into the fascinating history of the Aztec Empire and takes into account the latest results of research and archaeology. Renowned experts tell of the political, societal and economic structures, of cultural achievements such as the complex calendar system and the Aztec language, and of religious rites. Precious objects from the magnificent furnishings of the palace of Emperor Moctezuma and the main temple Templo Mayor, including recently discovered sacrificial offerings that have never previously been exhibited, bear witness to the high standards of Aztec art and craftsmanship.

Ines de Castro is an ethnologist and director of the Linden Museum Stuttgart in Germany. Doris Kurella is the deputy director of the ethnological Linden Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Her most recent work is Kulturen und Bauwerke des Alten Peru. Martin Berger is curator of Middle and South America at the National Museum of World Cultures in Leiden, the Netherlands.

"This lavishly illustrated volume is both a catalogue for a museum exhibition on the art and archaeology of the Aztecs and a compilation of articles regarding Aztec history, art, and society from the founding of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) to the lives of the Aztecs' descendants in the present day. There are 27 short chapters written by archaeologists, ethnohistorians, physical anthropologists, art historians, and other experts in the field of Mesoamerican/Aztec studies, and a significant portion of the chapters are authored by Mexican scholars. . . The extensive photographs, maps, and illustrations also make this a valuable read for anyone interested in the Aztecs."-- "Choice"