Tenochtitlan

by De Rojas, Jose Luis; Smith, Michael E.; Masson, Marilyn A.; Janusek, John W.

• ISBN13: 9780813042206
• ISBN10: 0813042208
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-12-04
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Florida

Summary

Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire before the Spanish conquest, rivaled any other great city of its time. In Europe, only Paris, Venice, and Constantinople were larger. Cradled in the Valley of Mexico, the city is unique among New World capitals in that it was well-described and chronicled by the conquistadors who subsequently demolished it. This means that, though centuries of redevelopment have frustrated efforts to access the ancient city's remains, much can be told about its urban landscape, politics, economy, and religion. While Tenochtitlan commands a great deal of attention from archaeologists and Mesoamerican scholars, very little has been written about the city for a non-technical audience in English. In this fascinating book, eminent expert José Luis de Rojas presents an accessible yet authoritative exploration of this famous city-interweaving glimpses into its inhabitants' daily lives with the broader stories of urbanization, culture, and the rise and fall of the Aztec empire.

Author Biography

Jos Luis De Rojas is professor of anthropology at the Complutense University of Madrid. He is the author of nearly a dozen books, including Ethnohistory of America, The Indian Monies and Their Use in New Spain, and The Aztecs.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. vii
List of Text Boxes	p. ix
List of Tables	p. xi
Foreword	p. xiii
Mesoamerica: A Constellation of Cities	p. 1
The Mexicas' Search for a Home	p. 13
The Rise and Fall of the Mexica Capital	p. 22
The Construction of a Metropolis	p. 40
A Visit to Tenochtitlan	p. 55
Supply and Distribution	p. 85
The Activities of the Tenochca	p. 113
The Life of the Tenochca	p. 147
Tenochtitlan: Capital of an Empire	p. 176
From Tenochtitlan to Mexico City	p. 189
Glossary of Nahuatl Terms	p. 195
References	p. 199
Index	p. 215
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.