Treasures of the Great Temple: Art and Symbolism of the Aztec Empire

The ruins of the Great Temple of the Aztecs in what is now Mexico City is a prime relic of Mesoamerican civilization. Since the modern excavation of the site began in 1978, not only have the principle phases of the temple's construction been revealed but also thousands of widely disparate offerings have emerged. As the principle archaeologist of the excavation and now as director of the Templo Mayor Museum, Moctezuma has gained a unique understanding and appreciation of this material. Unfortunately, this handsome gathering of plates reflects little of the author's proven abilities as a synthesizer. Instead, it gives a half-hearted guide to the excavation and a series of fragmentary evocations of objects now in the site museum. Although not as sumptuously illustrated, Mocteczuma's carefully wrought and yet nontechnical The Great Temple of the Aztecs (Thames & Hudson, 1988) is a more informative survey of the excavation and its relationship to its historical context; his lavishly produced The Aztecs (Rizzoli, 1989) provides a superior overview of the topic and contains much additional material. - Robert Cahn, Fash ion Inst. of Technology, New York Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.