Dodds Pennock, C. orcid.org/0000-0001-7237-4675 (2012) Mass murder or religious homicide? Rethinking human sacrifice and interpersonal violence in Aztec society. Historical Social Research, 37 (3). pp. 276-302. ISSN 0172-6404
Abstract
«Massenmord oder religiöse Tötung? Menschenopfer und interpersonale Gewalt in Aztekischer Gesellschaft überdenken». The Aztec practice of human sacrifice is one of the most sensationalized and bloody cases of mass killing in history, raising essential questions about cultural definitions, personal perceptions and the interrelationship of different forms of violence. Produced as part of a project on the long-term history of interpersonal and mass violence in Latin America, this article assesses the available sources for human sacrifice rates in pre-colonial Tenochtitlan, and lays the groundwork for a comparative analysis of homicide rates, by estimating the number of victims of human sacrifice. Offering an analysis which addresses key themes and structures in the history of violence, this study attempting to reconcile the frequency of 'official' violence with the apparent unacceptability of interpersonal aggression, and interrogates the sensationalism and cultural sensitivities which have often hindered impartial and empathetic studies of the human sacrifice in Aztec society.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2012 University of Cologne. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Aztec; Mexica; Mexico; human sacrifice; violence; religion; homicide; ritual |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Sheffield) > Department of History (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 19 May 2016 15:07 |
Last Modified: | 10 Aug 2016 10:13 |
Published Version: | http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-3788... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | University of Cologne |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-378889 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:98071 |