The Great Temple Of The Aztecs

After Cortes' extraordinary conquest of the Aztecs in 1521, the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, was leveled and its Great Temple demolished. In 1978, clues that led to the rediscovery of the Great Temple and the most spectacular excavations ever conducted in Mexico. Matos discovered ritual deposits containing thousands of offerings from all over the Aztec empire; jaguar skeletons, jade masks, obsidian knives, stone sculptures, and effigy vessels. Matos links these to the overall symbolism of the temple and its fearsome deities, the war and rain gods. Fully illustrated and complete with extensive quotations from 16th-century chronicles.

Art and symbolism of the Aztec empire.

The remains of the great double pyramid of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire, came to light during the spectacular excavation project undertaken by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia from 1978 to 1982. This volume offers three views of the Templo Mayor as the quintessential sacred space within the Aztec empire, presented in a collaborative effort by an archaeologist, an ethnohistorian, and a historian of religion.

After Cortes' extraordinary conquest of the Aztecs in 1521, the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, was leveled and its Great Temple demolished. In 1978, clues that led to the rediscovery of the Great Temple and the most spectacular excavations ever conducted in Mexico. Matos discovered ritual deposits containing thousands of offerings from all over the Aztec empire; jaguar skeletons, jade masks, obsidian knives, stone sculptures, and effigy vessels. Matos links these to the overall symbolism of the temple and its fearsome deities, the war and rain gods. Fully illustrated and complete with extensive quotations from 16th-century chronicles.

Examines the importance of the Aztec temple from the perspectives of archaeologist, ethnohistorian, and religious historian

Remains to be Seen is a fascinating series which looks at the past through the archeological evidence that remains today. Exploring the Aztecs discusses who the Aztecs were, and how their ancient civilisation in Mexico developed. Who was Moctezuma, and what was it like to live in Tenochititian, the Aztec capital city built on a lake? The reader is taken on a guided tour of the Aztec world, exploring their capital city, and discovering a world of emperors, nobles, priests, warriors, commoners and slaves who belonged to one of the greatest civilizations in the Americas.

"Empire of the Aztecs" opens with a summary of the rise and fall of the empire, placing it within the context of its time period and geographical location. The second half of this book explores the daily lives of the Aztec people, focusing on their social customs, religious practices, family and community structure, and cultural accomplishments.