ABSTRACT
Today, the search for the Aztecs goes far beyond national interests. The story of this remarkable people forms one of the most extraordinary chapters of cultural evolution in the Americas. Fearless warriors and pragmatic builders, the Aztecs ruthlessly created an empire…that was surpassed in size only by that of the Incas in Peru. The sacrificial aspect of their religion, with its seeming indifference to human life, appalled and repelled the Spaniards. But…beyond the ritual violence there were more easily appreciated achievements: the formation of a highly specialized and stratified society and an imperial administration; the expansion of a trading network as well as a tribute system; the development and maintenance of a sophisticated agricultural economy, carefully adjusted to the land; and the development of an intellectual and religious outlook that was in intimate contact with the earth, the sky, and the seasons.
