HST2108 Understanding the Aztecs: Life and death in early sixteenth-century Mexico

Aims/Description: Since the devastating arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519, the history of the Aztecs has been haunted by the spectre of human sacrifice. As bloody priests and brutal warriors, the Aztecs have peopled the pages of history, myth and fiction, their spectacular violence dominating perceptions of their culture and casting a veil over their unique way of life. But the Aztecs' island-capital of Tenochtitlan was not only a centre for ritual sacrifice, but also a sophisticated metropolis, home to a civilised society of highly educated individuals and close loving families. This module attempts to recover the complex and sometimes contradictory reality of the Aztec world by studying life in Tenochtitlan on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Central to the course will be the attempt to contextualize the role of human sacrifice and understand how the Aztecs were able to remain a very human and recognizable society, whilst living amongst so much violent bloodshed.

Restrictions on availability: Students must have taken 40 credits from HST Level 2 modules

Staff Contact: PENNOCK CAROLINE E

Teaching Methods: Lectures, Seminars, Tutorials, Independent Study

Assessment: Formal Exam, Course work, Practical skills assessment

Information on the department responsible for this unit (History):

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Teaching timetable

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Teaching methods and assessment displayed on this page are indicative for 2025-26.