| List of Illustrations | p. vii |
| List of Maps | p. ix |
| List of Tables | p. ix |
| Foreword | p. xi |
| Acknowledgments | p. xvii |
| Introduction | p. xix |
| Guide to Pronunciation and Spelling of Nahuatl Terms | p. xxiii |
| Mesoamerican Civilizations and Aztec Archaeology | p. 1 |
| The Area of Mesoamerica | p. 2 |
| The People of Mesoamerica | p. 5 |
| Brief History of Aztec Archaeology | p. 19 |
| Main Historical Primary Sources about the Aztec | p. 24 |
| Reading | p. 26 |
| Evolution of Aztec Civilization | p. 27 |
| Origins and the Great Migration | p. 28 |
| Mexica-Aztec History | p. 36 |
| Reading | p. 49 |
| Geography of the Aztec World | p. 51 |
| The Concept of Sacred Landscape | p. 52 |
| The Valley of Mexico: The Land, the Lake, and Natural Resources | p. 56 |
| The Island City of Tenochtitlan | p. 59 |
| City-States and Neighboring Peoples | p. 65 |
| Linguistic History and Distribution of the Nahua Peoples | p. 67 |
| Reading | p. 71 |
| Society and Government | p. 73 |
| Social Structure and Class Hierarchy | p. 74 |
| Tlatoani | p. 75 |
| Cihuacoatl | p. 86 |
| Priests | p. 87 |
| Tecuhtli | p. 92 |
| Calpulli | p. 92 |
| Household | p. 93 |
| Reading | p. 95 |
| Warfare | p. 97 |
| Training | p. 98 |
| Military Ranks and Orders | p. 102 |
| Military Intelligence | p. 106 |
| Women and War | p. 107 |
| Uniforms and Weapons | p. 108 |
| Battle Tactics and Strategies | p. 120 |
| Principal Aztec Military Campaigns | p. 127 |
| Tribute | p. 131 |
| Flower Wars | p. 133 |
| Reading | p. 134 |
| Religion, Cosmology, and Mythology | p. 137 |
| Structure of the Universe | p. 138 |
| Main Myths | p. 139 |
| The Aztec Gods | p. 144 |
| Rituals | p. 152 |
| Ritual Human Sacrifice | p. 153 |
| Reading | p. 157 |
| Funerary Beliefs and Customs | p. 159 |
| Creation Myths and Concepts about Death | p. 160 |
| Funerary Places of Destination | p. 162 |
| Burials and Cremation | p. 166 |
| Souls | p. 170 |
| Human Sacrifice | p. 172 |
| Reading | p. 175 |
| Aztec Art | p. 177 |
| Aztec Artists and Craftsmen | p. 178 |
| Monumental Stone Sculpture | p. 179 |
| Terra-cotta Sculpture | p. 204 |
| Ceramics | p. 206 |
| Wood Art | p. 208 |
| Feather Work | p. 210 |
| Lapidary Arts | p. 212 |
| Gold Work | p. 214 |
| Reading | p. 215 |
| Aztec Architecture | p. 217 |
| Symbolism | p. 218 |
| Types of Architecture | p. 220 |
| Building Materials and Techniques | p. 225 |
| The Precinct of Tenochtitlan | p. 225 |
| Other Cities | p. 238 |
| Reading | p. 260 |
| Nahuatl Literature | p. 261 |
| Tlacuilos and Their Techniques | p. 262 |
| Codices | p. 264 |
| Pictographic-Phonetic Writing | p. 275 |
| Poetry and Narrative | p. 282 |
| Reading | p. 288 |
| The Calendar, Astronomy, and Mathematics | p. 289 |
| The Calendar System | p. 290 |
| Concept of the Universe | p. 300 |
| Astronomy | p. 304 |
| Mathematics | p. 311 |
| Reading | p. 315 |
| Economy, Industry, and Trade | p. 317 |
| Modes of Production | p. 318 |
| Agriculture and Chinampas | p. 321 |
| Use of Water in the Valley of Mexico | p. 326 |
| Food Sources | p. 328 |
| Laborers and Artisans | p. 332 |
| The Marketplace | p. 338 |
| Transportation | p. 341 |
| Long-Distance Trade | p. 343 |
| The Pochtecah | p. 346 |
| Tribute | p. 349 |
| Reading | p. 349 |
| Daily Life | p. 351 |
| Family | p. 352 |
| Women | p. 353 |
| Education | p. 357 |
| Shamanism and Medicine | p. 359 |
| Games | p. 361 |
| Personal Appearance and Attire | p. 364 |
| Royal Court Life | p. 369 |
| Food and Drink | p. 371 |
| Music and Dance | p. 374 |
| Reading | p. 377 |
| The Aztec After the Conquest and Today | p. 379 |
| The Conquest of Mexico | p. 380 |
| Colonial Mexico: The Process of Transculturation | p. 384 |
| Tequitqui Art | p. 390 |
| Mexico and Its Mestizo Identity | p. 392 |
| The Indians of Central Mexico Today | p. 398 |
| Reading | p. 399 |
| Main Museums Containing Aztec Collections | p. 401 |
| Aztec Poems | p. 403 |
| Bibliography | p. 407 |
| Index | p. 419 |
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