Aztec political economy: a new conceptual frame. (6th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Feinman, Gary M.
• Is Part Of: Antiquity. Volume 91:Number 360(2017)
• Page Start: 1663
• Page End: 1666
• Publication Date: 2017-12-06
• Subjects: Archaeology -- Periodicals; Antiquities -- Periodicals; 930.05
• DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2017.191
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-598X

Abstract

Abstract : For those in search of current perspectives on the Aztec with a focus on matters economic, I heartily recommend a deep dive into these three volumes. Each book offers an insightful vantage on what we presently know about this pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican empire, as well as how new discoveries over the last 60–70 years force serious rethinking of both the long-term history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and key tenets that underpin pre-industrial political economies more broadly. Empires were a relatively rare phenomenon in the pre-industrial world, especially in the ancient Americas, and few have been so skilfully studied through a multi-disciplinary approach that integrates both historical texts and archaeology.