Abstract
‘The city of Tenochtitlan: center of the Aztec world’ describes Tenochtitlan. The Spanish expeditionary forces, led by Hernan Cortés, were amazed by Tenochtitlan. It lay at the heart of a vast empire boasting great wealth, but with the terrifying spectre of cannibalism looming over it. The accuracy of these initial Spanish reports were questioned, particularly with regards to human sacrifice, and asked whether these people were compatible with Christianity. After Tenochtitlan fell, an aggressive conversion effort was launched. It was not until the eighteenth century that interest in Aztec culture re-emerged. Arguments raged about the nature and extent of Aztec civilization, which continued well into the twentieth century.
