From their remote origins as migrating tribes to their rise as builders of empire, the Aztecs were among the most dynamic and feared peoples of ancient Mexico. This fully revised third edition of Richard Townsend’s masterly study presents an expanded view of their history and cultural achievement.

New evidence from ancient monuments at Teotihuacan, Xochicalco, and Tula offers insight on deep-seated cultural themes inherited and adapted by fifteenth-century Aztec rulers as their empire advanced. The leadership of individuals is underlined, not only in determining statecraft and conquest but also in the building of intensive farming systems, water-control projects, and ceremonial centers. Plans of family house-compounds complement descriptions of Aztec everyday life and settlement patterns in urban and provincial settings. A break-through in hieroglyphic decipherment reveals that many phonetic elements combine with pictographic forms in Aztec script, recalling conventions of Classic Maya writing.

The third edition ends with the conquest of Tenochtitlan by Spanish and Indian allies, as seen from the Aztec viewpoint, and the Conclusion points out the importance of the Aztec legacy in the formation of modern Mexico.

Richard F. Townsend is Curator of the Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at The Art Institute of Chicago.