A handy pocket-sized reference to the Aztec culture of ancient Mexico and the civilizations that preceded it. At the back of the book is a 12-page foldout timeline which can be detached and displayed on a wall or notice board. It offers an attractive quick visual reference to the key periods, events and developments of ancient central Mexico from the earliest hunter-gatherers, to the growth of farming, the emergence of towns and cities and finally the flourishing of the Aztec empire centered on their lake city of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec culture was virtually destroyed when the Spanish defeated the Aztec king Moctezuma in 1521, changing the course of Mexican history forever. The 32-page book follows the same chronological arrangement, giving supporting information and background. The Aztecs were a great culture but they did not exist alone: they participated in trade, alliances, exploitation, tribute and warfare with surrounding peoples of Mexico. Exchanges included technologies (farming, building); ideas (beliefs about the natural and supernatural worlds, social and political systems); means of expression (writing, symbolical systems and art, calendars and mathematical systems); valuable goods (obsidian, jade, feather-work, shells) and even people (such as craftsmen). Both book and timeline are richly illustrated throughout with color photographs, including numerous objects from museum collections. • 12-page detachable foldout timeline, perfect for wall display • For children and adults, perfect for school or home • Colorful, clear layout • 32-page book supports and expands on the information in the timeline • Authoritative information and wonderful images