Summary
Despite only existing for two centuries, the Aztecs managed to found their civilization on an island in the Valley of Mexico, link causeways to the mainland, develop far-reaching trade agreements, and build Tenochtitlan, one of the world's largest cities at the time of the Spanish invasion. Today, many people living in Mexico can trace their roots back to the Aztec Empire, which serves as a bridge between the modern and ancient worlds.
Featuring full-color photographs and maps, summaries of key people and key sites, primary source documents, a chronology, glossary, bibliography, and up-to-date further resources, Empire of the Aztecs, Third Edition opens with a summary of the rise and fall of the empire, placing it within the context of its time period and geographical location. The second half of the book explores the daily lives of the Aztec people, focusing on their social customs, religious practices, family and community structure, and cultural accomplishments; it includes primary sources to offer firsthand accounts. The volume concludes with the legacy of the Aztecs and how it is maintained today.
About the Author(s)
Barbara A. Somervill is a professional children's nonfiction writer. Her numerous published works include biographies of Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida Tarbell, Franklin Pierce, and Mary McLeod Bethune, as well as a history of Korea for young adults. She has also written Empire of the Incas and Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia in the Great Empires of the Past series, Amistad: Fighting for Freedom, and Brown v. the Board of Education. Somervill is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the North Carolina Writer's Network.
Historical consultant Louise M. Burkhart, Ph.D., is professor of anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York. She is an expert in the Nahuatl language and the 16th-century documentation of Aztec civilization. She is the author of four books and many articles on colonial religion and co-author of four books on Nahuatl theater.