Aztecs: An Interpretation

In this remarkable study Inga Clendinnen creates a vivid and dramatic picture of life in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, the centre of the Aztec tribute empire. She attempts to explain the Aztec practice of human sacrifice by investigating a wide field of social action: the routines, assumptions, and experiences of daily life at all the emotional, moral and aesthetic levels through which Aztecs sought to understand their world. She investigates the management of victims and their acquiescence, linking ritual to the spheres of art and social orgainisation. Clendinnen discusses the worlds of women, of warriors and priests, and of commoners, showing us that even mundane aspects of their lives often had tremendous significance. The book culminates in an analysis and interpretation of high Aztec ritual and its meanings for participants and watchers alike.Inga Clendinnen is the author of 'Aztecs: An Interpretation', published 1993 under ISBN 9780521446952 and ISBN 0521446953.