Nigel Davies (1) (1920–2004)

The Aztecs left a confused mass of traditions concerning the Toltecs, who they regarded as their great predecessors. Davies tried to sift out what may be historically reliable from the purely mythical, that which grew in the telling, and the simply confused; and correlate it with what archaeology can tell us.

The results are ingenious but do not inspire great confidence in their accuracy. The tendency since Davies wrote seems to be ever greater pessimism that anything reliable can be extracted at all. I found the book interesting enough, though.… (mais)

If you're anything like me, you probably have a soft spot in your heart for Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian history. Of course, if you're anything like me, I recommend you stop being like me, 'cause I'm trying to be unique, you know, like everybody else.

Now, normally, I have history. This is because I find tales of warfare and kings and queens fighting over tracts of land while churches give them advice or excommunicate them. Yawn.

The thing about Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian cultures, as well as with other ancient cultures, is that so little is known about them such that when they are presented as a culture, a major element of their "history" is their mythology. And that's what interests me.

Nigel Davies, an archaeologist, studied the great ruins of Peru, which once housed the great Incan empire. He compiled his information and published it as a book.

This book comes as a highly recommended source to learn more about the Incas, if that sort of thing is your cup of tea. If you are a big history buff, but prefer it because it's all about wars and kings and queens and tracts of land and churches and advice and excommunications, then this may not be your cup of tea. If you prefer coffee, well, you should really switch before you start to develop serious health problems.… (mais)