Examine the fascinating details of the daily lives of the ancient Aztecs through this innovative study of their social history, culture, and continuing influence, written from the perspective of the history of religions. Utilizing insights from the discipline known as the history of religions, as well as new discoveries in archaeology, pictorial manuscripts, and ritual practices, Daily Life of the Aztecs, Second Edition weaves together a narrative describing life from the bottom of the Aztec social pyramid to its top. This new and surprising interpretation of the Aztecs puts a human face on an ancient people who created beautiful art and architecture, wrote beautiful poetry, and loved their children profoundly, while also making war and human sacrifice fundamental parts of their world. The book describes the interaction between the material and the imaginative worlds of the Aztecs, offering insights into their communities, games, education, foodways, and arts, as well as the sacrificial rituals they performed. The authors also detail the evolution of the Aztec state and explores the continuity and changes in Aztec symbols, myths, and ritual practices into the present day.

Preface Chronology of Central Mexico 1. Cemanahuac: The Land Surrounded by Water 2. The Worldview of Balance: The Cosmic Tree and the Four Quarters 3. Mountains of Water: Tenochtitlan and Aztec Communities 4. Education and the Aztec Life Cycle: From Birth to Death and Beyond 5. The Social Pyramid: Maintaining Your Place and the World 6. Aztec Aesthetics: Flowers and Songs 7. Where the Jaguars Roar: Aztec Human Sacrifice as Debt Payment 8. The Two Tongues: The Aztecs Encounter the Europeans 9. The Long Event of Aztec Culture Glossary Selected Bibliography Index