Three Mysteries: My Search for Aztec Families and Communities

My excavations of three Aztec sites near Cuernavaca, Mexico, have revealed a surprising side of this ancient Native American culture. Instead of digging temples, tombs, and palaces, I applied a new kind of archaeology and excavated houses and trash heaps to uncover the daily lives and social conditions of the Aztec people. Two popular images of the Aztecs—as sacrificial maniacs, and as downtrodden exploited serfs—find no support in the realm of domestic life. Instead, my excavations reveal an inventive and prosperous people who forged successful communities. I will describe excavations at three sites: a city (Yautepec), a town (Cuexcomate), and a village (Capilco). These communities showed resilience to conquest by the Aztec Empire. Their success can be explained by three factors: (1) intensive agriculture and effective use of local resources; (2) development of flexible social institutions under local control; and (3) participation in extensive market networks. Although successful and sustainable for more than four centuries, these communities could not withstand the impact of the Spanish conquest, and they fell apart soon after 1521.