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At Home with the Aztecs: An Archaeologist Uncovers Their Daily Life
At Home with the Aztecs provides 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.
158 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2016
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About the author
Michael E. Smith
15Ìýbooks11ÌýfollowersSee also:
Michael E. Smith, author on international relations
Michael E. Smith (Derbyshire)
Michael Ernest Smith (born 1953) is an American archaeologist working primarily with Aztec and general Mesoamerican archaeology. He has written numerous scholarly articles about central Mexican archaeology as well as several books about the Aztecs, among them a widely used textbook (Smith 2003). He is currently Professor of Anthropology in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. He is known for stressing the importance of assessing archaeological evidence independently of the ethnohistorical sources, and advocating its use as a source of knowledge about the Aztecs.
Michael E. Smith, author on international relations
Michael E. Smith (Derbyshire)
Michael Ernest Smith (born 1953) is an American archaeologist working primarily with Aztec and general Mesoamerican archaeology. He has written numerous scholarly articles about central Mexican archaeology as well as several books about the Aztecs, among them a widely used textbook (Smith 2003). He is currently Professor of Anthropology in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. He is known for stressing the importance of assessing archaeological evidence independently of the ethnohistorical sources, and advocating its use as a source of knowledge about the Aztecs.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 14, 2021
I checked this out (at the beginning of pandemic shutdown) after hearing the author lecture. I didn’t immediately warm to the the admixture of basic archaeology, theory, and personal anecdote, but in the end all were educational. While I definitely did not need to be schooled about the importance of household archaeology (in contrast to monumental), the discussion helpfully sharpened the different assumptions about Mexica society and other ancients.
January 14, 2019
An exploration of the way of living during the time of the Aztecs. Its influence during the its migration period, to the founding of Tenochitlan and its fall to Spanish. As unbelievable as it sounds the archeological study digs deep into the middens (buried garbage) of the people who lived in Morelos.
January 31, 2023
Very readable. Explains the importance of archaeology of everyday sites, as opposed to monuments. Describes what it was like to raise a family while spending summers on site in rural Mexico. Talks about what made these communities resilient through conquest by the Mexica empire.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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