At home with the Aztecs : an archaeologist uncovers their daily life / Michael E. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Michael Ernest, 1953- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Aztecs--Antiquities.

Aztecs.

Aztecs--Social life and customs.

Mexico--Antiquities.

Mexico.

Antiquities.

Physical Description:

xiv, 144 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2016.

Summary:

At Home with the Aztecsprovides a fresh view of Aztec society, focusing on households and communities instead of kings, pyramids, and human sacrifice. This new approach offers an opportunity to humanize the Aztecs, moving past the popular stereotype of sacrificial maniacs to demonstrate that these were successful and prosperous communities. Michael Smith also engagingly describes the scientific, logistic and personal dimensions of archaeological fieldwork, drawing on decades of excavating experience and considering how his research was affected by his interaction with contemporary Mexican communities. Through first-hand accounts of the ways archaeologists interpret sites and artifacts, the book illuminates how the archaeological process can provide information about ancient families. Facilitating a richer understanding of the Aztec world, Smith's research also redefines success, prosperity and resilience in ancient societies, making this book suitable not only for those interested in the Aztecs but in the examination of complex societies in general. sted in the Aztecs but in the examination of complex societies in general.

Contents:

Rusty nails, stone walls and a drum

The discovery of Aztec peasants

Reconstructing daily life

A high quality of life

Excavations in an urban community

Urban life

Resilient communities

Lessons from the dirt.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781138100756

1138100757

9781138100749

1138100749

OCLC:

913767951