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This article reassesses the evidence for the practice of Aztec cannibalism. In comparing Spanish and Nahua colonial documents, it finds that assertions of routine or imperial Aztec cannibalism largely derive from inconsistent claims of Spanish friars and are not supported by Nahua sources, although the “Relaciones Geográficas” surveys from the 1500s could support cannibalism’s happening in a few subregions of the Aztec Empire. Analysis of the archaeological data shows no clear signs of cannibalism in the empire; a small assemblage from Zultepec may provide evidence of the practice. Overall, much of the support for Aztec cannibalism appears to have been inflated and fabricated by Christian sources, taken for granted because of Spanish racism or simply presumed by scholars to have occurred with sacrifice. In contrast to popular scholarly opinion, the findings here suggest that cannibalism is unlikely to have been a practice of the Mexica or across the Aztec Empire as a whole. However, there is some possibility that it was practiced independently in certain polities within or near the Aztec Empire.

This research deals with the topic of rituals and sacrifices in the Aztec civilization, which is one of the most important pillars of religious thought in the religious beliefs of the Aztecs, and includes a number of practices supervised by specialized priests on specific periodic occasions at specific times aimed at pleasing the gods to ward off dangers and evils from the king and subjects. The research is divided into two axes, the first axis is concerned with explaining and clarifying the ritual of sacrifices and offerings, while the second is concerned with explaining the rest of the rituals associated with religious life among the Aztecs.

Traditionally, historians believed that taking captives was a major goal in Mexica warfare, and this tendency has even been given as a reason why the Spanish conquistadors defeated the Mexica. Although historians have largely revised these conclusions, the perception that captives were important to Aztec strategy and warfare persists. In this article I argue that the need for captives was not great enough to affect Aztec military strategy or battlefield conduct. First, rituals only needed a small number of victims, which could easily be acquired through the normal course of battle, and thus did not constitute a specific objective. Second, Mexica strategy focused on economic objectives, rather than captive taking. Finally, individual warriors were not well equipped to take prisoners. Although captives played a vital role in Mexica society, the practice should be thought of as opportunistic, rather than strategic.

Amphibians are among the most endangered vertebrates globally due to habitat loss, environmental degradation, and urban expansion. The axolotl ( Ambystoma mexicanum ), a critically endangered aquatic species endemic to Lake Xochimilco, exemplifies these challenges. This study evaluates the viability of restored and artificial wetlands for axolotl conservation by comparing movement patterns, home range sizes, and habitat use. Using VHF telemetry, we tracked captive-bred axolotls released into both environments. Axolotls survived and foraged successfully in both sites, with those in an artificial pond in La Cantera Oriente exhibiting larger home ranges (mean: 2,747 m²) and greater daily distances traveled than those in a restored chinampa in Lake Xochimilco, where home ranges were smaller (mean: 382 m²). A quadratic relationship between water temperature and movement indicated a narrow thermal preference, with axolotl movement peaking at around 16–17°C in Xochimilco and 15.5–16.5°C in La Cantera Oriente, declining beyond these ranges. Additionally, in La Cantera Oriente, female axolotls traveled significantly greater daily distances than males, with females averaging 86.75 meters per day compared to 54.33 meters for males. In Xochimilco, daily distance traveled decreased with age. Recaptured individuals gained weight, suggesting successful adaptation, although two axolotls were lost to avian predation in Xochimilco after the study concluded. These findings highlight the potential of artificial wetlands like La Cantera Oriente for axolotl conservation by providing stable conditions that may mitigate habitat degradation and climate change impacts. The study recommends integrating native and artificial habitats into conservation strategies, incorporating predator awareness training before release, and ongoing habitat monitoring to enhance survival outcomes for this iconic species.

The obsidian mirror associated with the Elizabethan polymath and magus John Dee (1527–1608/1609) has been an object of fascination for centuries. The mirror, however, has a deeper history as an Aztec artefact brought to Europe soon after the Spanish conquest. The authors present the results of new geochemical analysis, and explore its history and changing cultural context to provide insights into its meaning during a period in which entirely new world views were emerging. The biography of the mirror demonstrates how a complex cultural history underpins an iconic object. The study highlights the value of new compositional analyses of museum objects for the reinterpretation of historically significant material culture.

Alfredo López Austin fue fundamentalmente un gran maestro, un investigador acucioso y persistente, obsesivo en los grandes temas que trabajó y de los cuales dan muestra sus aportaciones fundamentales a la etnografía, la etnología, la historia del México Antiguo y la arqueología, entre otros campos del conocimiento. Fue asimismo un conocedor, exigente, del idioma español y del náhuatl; excelente dibujante, como se advierte en sus diversos trabajos, también lo mostraba en sus retratos hechos a pluma en los congresos internos del Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológica, ingeniosos y algunos con un toque irónico. Era una persona abierta y accesible, a sus alumnos les exigía que lo tutearan; pero sobre todo era un hombre comprometido social y políticamente, asumía una posición crítica tanto frente a la burocracia como a los autoritarismos de las diversas políticas públicas. 

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We report here the first domesticated amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) seeds to be identified at a Chacoan great house, from the northern New Mexico site known as Aztec North, where they were found in a context that dates to the mid to late twelfth century AD. Amaranth has long been recognized as an important prehispanic resource in this region, evidenced by the archaeological record of both wild and domesticated forms and by the traditional knowledge and practices of Indigenous communities. Wild amaranth and similar-appearing chenopod/goosefoot (Chenopodium spp.) seeds are routinely found in Ancestral Puebloan contexts. Recent archaeological testing at the Aztec North great house, a Chaco Canyon outlier associated with a post-Chacoan political center, has revealed the presence of uncharred domesticated amaranth seeds in a thin layer of ashy trash in a room at the rear of the great house. These seeds expand our understanding of domesticated amaranth in the American Southwest and suggest centuries of continuity of traditional amaranth cultivation within Puebloan communities.

Urban horticulture is not as new as many people think. Throughout history, different techniques have been used to ensure sustainable urban agricultural production. A good example of this is the chinampa system, which was developed during the time of the Aztecs in the region of Lake Xochimilco, south of Mexico City. A chinampa is a raised field on a small artificial island on a freshwater lake surrounded by canals and ditches. Farmers use local vegetation and mud to construct chinampas. Fences made of a native willow [bonpland willow ( Salix bonplandiana )] protect the chinampa from wind, pests, and erosion. The dominating crops are vegetables and ornamentals. The canal water that rises through capillarity to the crops reduces the need for additional irrigation. A considerable portion of the fertility in the soils is system-immanent and generated in the aquatic components of the chinampa. Complex rotations and associations allow up to seven harvests per year. Chinampas also provide ecosystem services, particularly greenhouse gas sequestration and biodiversity diversification, and they offer high recreational potential. Recently, research and community initiatives have been performed to try to recover the productive potential of chinampas and align this sustainable system with the needs of the 21st century. In other parts of the world, some with a history of raised field agriculture, similar efforts are being made. The chinampa model could help supply food and ecosystem services in large cities on or near swamplands, large rivers, or lakes.