The Economics of Aztec Inequality or, the Inequality of the Aztec Economy

Summary

In discussions of Aztec society, the economy and inequality are typically treated as separate realms. The former is discussed in terms of production, exchange, and consumption, while the latter is framed around nobles versus commoners and various hierarchies. Although no one would claim that these two topics are unrelated, the full extent of their interconnection is rarely acknowledged. We cannot understand Aztec economic processes and institutions without reference to patterns of inequality, nor does Aztec inequality make sense apart from consideration of the economy. Frances Berdan has made contributions to both topics, and to their joint analysis. I explore the connections among the economy and patterns of inequality, putting Frannie Berdan’s research into a broader context.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• The Aztecs and their World: Initerdisciplinary Contributions of Frances Berdan

Keywords

Spatial Coverage