The Aztec Civilization

Paper Summary:

This paper tries to understand the business practices and trade cultures of the Aztecs by looking at the environment in which the Aztecs lived, worked and raised their families. The paper briefly discusses the Aztec's ability to maintain their fundamental beliefs and practices relating to internal business affairs and trade despite Spanish colonization, as well as the natural geographical environment of the Mesoamericans and how this helped in creating innovations in farming and agriculture. The paper compares traders and merchants of the Aztec empire to today's merchants and also analyzes how the various economic systems and business practices that the Aztecs practiced, though primitive, allowed the various market sectors and regions to come together to create an extraordinarily dynamic economy.

From the Paper:

"Like many other Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs relied heavily upon a variety of markets and business merchants to transport goods and commodities from the producer to the consumer. In this instance, the word "markets" does not connote what we today refer to as global and/or national markets, such as a country like Japan producing and marketing automobiles, televisions and audio equipment. Thus, "markets" refers to a physical space, such as a marketplace or agora as found in ancient Greece where buyers and sellers came together to exchange goods and services under the auspices of the reigning king or emperor."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berdan, Francis. The Aztecs of Central Mexico: An Imperial Society. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1982.
• Hassig, Ross. Trade, Tribute and Transportation: The Sixteenth Century Political Economy of the Ancient Aztecs. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1993.
• Hooker, Richard. "Civilizations in America: The Mexica Aztecs." 1996. Internet. Retrieved October 5, 2008 from http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAMRCA/AZTECS.HTM.
• Van Tuerenhout, Dirk R. The Aztecs: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC Clio, 2005.

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