The subject of this book is the life of the Mexicans-the Mexica, as they said themselves-at the beginning of the sixteenth century. At that time, in the early 1500s, nobody, from the arid steppes of the north to the burning jungles of the isthmus, from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to the shore of the Pacific, could have believed that this enormous empire, its culture, its art, its gods, were to go down a few years later in a historic cataclysm. The period with which this book is concerned is distinguished from all others by the wealth of its written documentation. The Mexicans were interested in themselves and in their history; they were tireless speech-makers and great loves of verse, thus an immense quantity of books and legal documents came into being. Drawing on this rich recorded history, Soustelle creates a memorable portrait of Aztec society.

Tireless speech-makers and lovers of verse, the ancient Aztecs used a pictographic system to keep records of their history, geography, and rituals. Many of these accounts were destroyed after the Spanish conquest; but fortunately, a few survived, including records kept by the invaders. This book by an international authority on Mexican archeology and sociology presents a vivid account of that profoundly religious Aztec warrior society--from its days as a primitive people, to the early sixteenth century when a powerful government ruled with great organizational ability and restless energy. A highly readable text, accompanied by rare illustrations, describes public buildings and market places, the problems of life in a great city-state, the ruling classes and living standards, religious beliefs, the everyday lives of people--from birth to death, and much more. Amazing in scope and detail, this volume will be invaluable to students of Mexican history and of interest to anyone fascinated by this ancient civilization. Unabridged republication of the edition published by the MacMillan Company, New York, 1962. 39 black-and-white illustrations.