The Aztecs
Of the many overviews of the Aztecs, such as those by Brian Fagan (The Aztecs, 1984) and Robert Townsend (The Aztecs, LJ 5/15/92), this is the first to break from the traditional focus on the nobility and on urban life in Tenochtitlan. Within the framework provided by the chronicles and by monument archaeology, Smith (Architectural Research of Aztec-Period Rural Sites in Morelos, Mexico, Vol. 1, Univ. of Pittsburgh, 1992) summarizes the results of archaeological research conducted largely in the past 30 years into the everyday lives of ordinary people in the villages, hamlets, and farmsteads from many regions of central Mexico. His method permits a fresh view of such topics as agricultural methods, population size, market system, relations between city-states and the empire, and even human sacrifice. Smith carries his social account of these people through transformation under Spanish rule and their legacy in modern Mexico. This most comprehensive survey to date on the Aztecs belongs in libraries interested in Pre-Columbian America.?William S. Dancey, Ohio State Univ., ColumbusCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.