Aztec State Making: Ecology, Structure, and the Origin of the State

1983/06/01 by Elizabeth M. Brumfiel · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Social Sciences · Mathematics · #Latin American history and culture #Archaeology and ancient environmental studies #Archaeology and Natural History #Ecology #State (computer science) #Political ecology #Politics #Competition (biology) #Environmental ethics #Biology #Political science #Law #Mathematics #Philosophy

paper · doi:10.1525/aa.1983.85.2.02a00010

openalex publication_date 1983/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

It has become increasingly difficult to account for state formation solely in terms of ecological variables. It is suggested that consideration of prestate political structure and the interplay of ecological variables and political dynamics (political ecology) would enhance our understanding of why and how states emerge. The Aztecs provide a case for examination. [Aztecs, ecology, political competition, state origins]

Citations

• The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
• A Theory of the Origin of the State

Cited by

• The Role of Social Stratification in the Aztec Empire: A View from the Provinces
• Aztec Empire [wikipedia]