Frederic Hicks
Biographic Data
| ID | 94798 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Frederic Hicks |
| GIVEN NAMES | Frederic |
| FAMILY NAME | Hicks |
| SIGNATURE | HICKS F |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Louisville |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 30 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 312 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 30 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1961 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Inequality and Social Class in Aztec Society
"The Oxford Handbook of the Aztecs, the first of its kind, provides a current overview of recent research on the Aztec empire, the best documented prehispanic society in the Americas. Chapters span from the establishment of Aztec city-states to the encounter with the Spanish empire and the Colonial period that shaped the modern world. Articles in the Handbook take up new research trends and methodologies and current debates. The Handbook articles…
The Architectural Features of Cerro Portezuelo
Excavations at the site of Cerro Portezuelo, located on the lower slopes of a hill in Chimalhuacan, State of México, were begun by George Brainerd in 1954 and continued in 1955, but he died suddenly, before a projected third season could take place. With the exception of a few small structures higher on the hill, no signs of significant structures were visible on the surface. Architectural features revealed through excavation, however, included a…
Governing Smaller Communities in Aztec Mexico
The Nahua-speaking area of Postclassic central Mexico was composed of many city-states, which consisted of a nucleated and urbanized central area where the major political and economic centers were located, and a predominantly rural area where most of the people lived. This outlying area and its small communities had to be governed, and this paper identifies, from ethnohistorical sources, the most likely tasks of local government and the local of…
Land and Succession in the Indigenous Noble Houses of Sixteenth-Century Tlaxcala
On the eve of the Spanish conquest, and in the decades immediately thereafter, the indigenous population of Tlaxcala, in the Valley of Puebla, east of the Basin of Mexico, was grouped into four kingdoms (tlahtocayotl or altepetl, generally called cabeceras in Spanish) of pre-Hispanic origin. Within each cabecera, the basic social and political units were lordly houses (teccalli), each headed by a lord (teuctli) and including junior nobles and non…
Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God: Tezcatlipoca, “Lord of the Smoking Mirror”
Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God: Tezcatlipoca, “Lord of the Smoking Mirror.” Guilhem Olivier, Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2003, 403 pp
Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God: Tezcatlipoca, "Lord of the Smoking Mirror":Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God: Tezcatlipoca, "Lord of the Smoking Mirror."
The Middle Class in Ancient Central Mexico
Ancient Mexico had a system of estates, based on birth, and classes, based on power, and it is important to distinguish between them. There were two estates: noble and commoner. Classes are constructs of the observer and there is no fixed number, but I believe that in any stratified society, there must be at least three. I identify the middle class of ancient Mexico, which included both commoners and nobles, and argue that it played an essential …
Presidential Address: Skepticism in Ethnohistory
I want to address what I think is the importance of skepticism both among the people we study and among those of us who study them. Since my field is the ethnohistory of late pre-Hispanic Mexico, I take most of my examples from there, but I want to start out with an anecdote from a very different part of the world, because it illustrates particularly well the point I want to make. The people of the Trobriand Islands, in Melanesia, believe that wh…
Estructura Politico-Territorial del Imperio Tenochca: La Triple Alianza de Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco y Tlacopan
Aztec Imperial Strategies
Aztec Imperial Strategies. Frances F. Berdan. Richard E. Blanton. Elizabeth Hill Boone. Mary G. Hodge. Michael E. Smith. and Emily Umberger. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collections, 1996. 392 pp
Class and State in Aztec Official Ideology
Presente, pasado y futuro de las chinampas . Teresa Rojas Rabiela
Ideology and the Formation of Early States
Eighteen authors from 10 countries offer an assessment of the role of ideology in the emergence and development of early states. In a comparative perspective the significance of ideology in the processes that led to formation of states in Europe, Africa, Meso-America and Polynesia is discussed by specialists in the fields of anthropology, history and archaeology. Special attention is given to subjects such as the concept of ideology, regional com…
Alliance and intervention in Aztec imperial expansion
The growth of the Empire of the Triple Alliance, or Aztec empire, is recounted in a number of sources, and all of them describe how it was built through wars of conquest waged by the allied cities of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City), Tetzcoco (Texcoco), and Tlacopan (Tacuba). These conquests began with the overthrow of the Tepanec empire in 1428, and did not end until the Spanish conquest in 1519. The Mexica of Tenochtitlan and their allies foug…
Factional Competition and Political Development in the New World
Factionalism is an important force of social transformation, and this volume examines how factional competition in the kinship and political structures in ancient New World societies led to the development of chiefdoms, states and empires. The case studies, from a range of New World societies, represent all levels of non-egalitarian societies and a wide variety of ecological settings in the New World. They document the effects of factionalism on …
The Mesoamerican Ballgame
Subject States and Tribute Provinces: The Aztec Empire in the Northern Valley of Mexico
The Aztec empire was composed of at least two kinds of entities, subject states and tribute provinces, and these were administered through at least two separate hierarchies. Imperial tribute, which was extracted from the common people, was not delivered through the same channels as those through which subject rulers interacted with their imperial overlords. This arrangement enabled the latter to deal with the subject rulers not as tribute-givers,…
The Aztec Empire: The Toltec Resurgence
Trade, Tribute, and Transportation: The Sixteenth-Century Political Economy of the Valley of Mexico
Aztekischer Zensus: Zur indianischen Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Marquesado um 1540. 2 Vols
The Internal Dynamics of the Early State [and Comments and Reply]
This article addresses the question of why only some early states develop into mature ones. The main differences between the two types of states having been outlined, four fields are indicated in which changes may take place. The field of the societal format involves problems of infrastructure, communication, and control. The field of economic development includes such aspects as trade and markets and the income and expenditures of the state. In …
Tetzcoco in the early 16th century: The State, the City, and the Calpolli
Examination of the internal structure and system of tribute in the pre-Hispanic city of Tetzcoco, Mexico, indicates that the city contained several kinds of territorial groupings that received the services of commoners. These commoners were organized into calpolli, which were basically groups with common tributary obligations. They gave service either in food production, unskilled labor, or specialized skilled work, but it was usually part-time, …
Economia politica e ideologia en el Mexico prehispanico
Economía política e ideología en el México prehispánico
"Flowery war" in Aztec history
The notion that the Aztec fought "flowery wars" primarily to provide captives needed for human sacrifice is called into question. The data on wars called "flowery" in the ethnohistorical sources indicate that they were simply wars not aimed at conquest, and that the most common motive for waging them was to provide military training and practice
Factional Competition and Political Development in the New World
Factionalism is an important force of social transformation, and this volume examines how factional competition in the kinship and political structures in ancient New World societies led to the development of chiefdoms, states and empires. The case studies, from a range of New World societies, represent all levels of non-egalitarian societies and a wide variety of ecological settings in the New World. They document the effects of factionalism on …
Ideology and the Formation of Early States
Eighteen authors from 10 countries offer an assessment of the role of ideology in the emergence and development of early states. In a comparative perspective the significance of ideology in the processes that led to formation of states in Europe, Africa, Meso-America and Polynesia is discussed by specialists in the fields of anthropology, history and archaeology. Special attention is given to subjects such as the concept of ideology, regional com…
Tetzcoco in the early 16th century: The State, the City, and the Calpolli
Examination of the internal structure and system of tribute in the pre-Hispanic city of Tetzcoco, Mexico, indicates that the city contained several kinds of territorial groupings that received the services of commoners. These commoners were organized into calpolli, which were basically groups with common tributary obligations. They gave service either in food production, unskilled labor, or specialized skilled work, but it was usually part-time, …
The Architectural Features of Cerro Portezuelo
Excavations at the site of Cerro Portezuelo, located on the lower slopes of a hill in Chimalhuacan, State of México, were begun by George Brainerd in 1954 and continued in 1955, but he died suddenly, before a projected third season could take place. With the exception of a few small structures higher on the hill, no signs of significant structures were visible on the surface. Architectural features revealed through excavation, however, included a…
"Flowery war" in Aztec history
The notion that the Aztec fought "flowery wars" primarily to provide captives needed for human sacrifice is called into question. The data on wars called "flowery" in the ethnohistorical sources indicate that they were simply wars not aimed at conquest, and that the most common motive for waging them was to provide military training and practice
Subject States and Tribute Provinces: The Aztec Empire in the Northern Valley of Mexico
The Aztec empire was composed of at least two kinds of entities, subject states and tribute provinces, and these were administered through at least two separate hierarchies. Imperial tribute, which was extracted from the common people, was not delivered through the same channels as those through which subject rulers interacted with their imperial overlords. This arrangement enabled the latter to deal with the subject rulers not as tribute-givers,…
Land and Succession in the Indigenous Noble Houses of Sixteenth-Century Tlaxcala
On the eve of the Spanish conquest, and in the decades immediately thereafter, the indigenous population of Tlaxcala, in the Valley of Puebla, east of the Basin of Mexico, was grouped into four kingdoms (tlahtocayotl or altepetl, generally called cabeceras in Spanish) of pre-Hispanic origin. Within each cabecera, the basic social and political units were lordly houses (teccalli), each headed by a lord (teuctli) and including junior nobles and non…
The Middle Class in Ancient Central Mexico
Ancient Mexico had a system of estates, based on birth, and classes, based on power, and it is important to distinguish between them. There were two estates: noble and commoner. Classes are constructs of the observer and there is no fixed number, but I believe that in any stratified society, there must be at least three. I identify the middle class of ancient Mexico, which included both commoners and nobles, and argue that it played an essential …
The Internal Dynamics of the Early State [and Comments and Reply]
This article addresses the question of why only some early states develop into mature ones. The main differences between the two types of states having been outlined, four fields are indicated in which changes may take place. The field of the societal format involves problems of infrastructure, communication, and control. The field of economic development includes such aspects as trade and markets and the income and expenditures of the state. In …
Interpersonal Relationships andCaudillismoin Paraguay
Paraguay has a relatively open (for Latin America) class structure, a strong national consciousness, a two-party political system, and mass involvement in national politics, all of which are features that some writers believe should be associated with representative democracy of the North American type. In Paraguay, however, these features are associated with, and in fact reinforce, a political system which for most of the past century has consis…
A Brief Progress Report on the Excavations at Cerro Portezuelo, Valley of Mexico
Work at this Classic-Postclassic site, begun by George W. Brainerd and interrupted by his untimely death, is being completed by Nicholson and Hicks. While analysis of much of the archaeological material is well underway, work on the ceramic typology has not yet proceeded to the point where 'functional' interpretations can be made. Certain misunderstandings in the use of Cerro Portezuelo material by Mayer-Oakes are noted
Governing Smaller Communities in Aztec Mexico
The Nahua-speaking area of Postclassic central Mexico was composed of many city-states, which consisted of a nucleated and urbanized central area where the major political and economic centers were located, and a predominantly rural area where most of the people lived. This outlying area and its small communities had to be governed, and this paper identifies, from ethnohistorical sources, the most likely tasks of local government and the local of…
The Aztec Empire: The Toltec Resurgence
Making a Living during the Dead Season in Sugar-Producing Regions of the Caribbean
Recent technological changes have intensified the seasonal labor requirements in sugar cane production in the Caribbean. Much more labor is needed during the harvest and grinding season than in the period between harvests, known as the "dead season." This paper examines the means by which seasonally-employed cane workers gain a livelihood during the dead season, bearing in mind that the means used must be such that the workers will again be avail…
Inequality and Social Class in Aztec Society
"The Oxford Handbook of the Aztecs, the first of its kind, provides a current overview of recent research on the Aztec empire, the best documented prehispanic society in the Americas. Chapters span from the establishment of Aztec city-states to the encounter with the Spanish empire and the Colonial period that shaped the modern world. Articles in the Handbook take up new research trends and methodologies and current debates. The Handbook articles…
Estructura Politico-Territorial del Imperio Tenochca: La Triple Alianza de Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco y Tlacopan
The Culture-Historical Configurations of the American Peoples [and Comments and and Reviews and Reply]
Distinct processes of ethnic formation have operated to create the extra-European peoples of the modern world, and their identification and classification is a preliminary step toward an understanding of their differing ways of life and problems of modernization and development. Examination shows that four great culture-historical configurations can be recognized: the Witness Peoples, the New Peoples, the Transplanted Peoples, and the Emergent Pe…
A Brief Progress Report on the Excavations at Cerro Portezuelo, Valley of Mexico
Work at this Classic-Postclassic site, begun by George W. Brainerd and interrupted by his untimely death, is being completed by Nicholson and Hicks. While analysis of much of the archaeological material is well underway, work on the ceramic typology has not yet proceeded to the point where 'functional' interpretations can be made. Certain misunderstandings in the use of Cerro Portezuelo material by Mayer-Oakes are noted
Politics, Power, and the Role of the Village Priest in Paraguay
The parochial priests in small Paraguayan towns are generally reputed, in Paraguay, to exercise an extraordinary amount of power and influence over the people of their parishes—to a greater extent, it would seem, than in most other Latin American countries. This is, moreover, despite the fact that the church, as an institution, is considerably weaker, economically and politically, than in all but a handful of such countries. Therefore, what power…
The Culture-Historical Configurations of the American Peoples [and Comments and and Reviews and Reply]
Distinct processes of ethnic formation have operated to create the extra-European peoples of the modern world, and their identification and classification is a preliminary step toward an understanding of their differing ways of life and problems of modernization and development. Examination shows that four great culture-historical configurations can be recognized: the Witness Peoples, the New Peoples, the Transplanted Peoples, and the Emergent Pe…
Interpersonal Relationships andCaudillismoin Paraguay
Paraguay has a relatively open (for Latin America) class structure, a strong national consciousness, a two-party political system, and mass involvement in national politics, all of which are features that some writers believe should be associated with representative democracy of the North American type. In Paraguay, however, these features are associated with, and in fact reinforce, a political system which for most of the past century has consis…
Making a Living during the Dead Season in Sugar-Producing Regions of the Caribbean
Recent technological changes have intensified the seasonal labor requirements in sugar cane production in the Caribbean. Much more labor is needed during the harvest and grinding season than in the period between harvests, known as the "dead season." This paper examines the means by which seasonally-employed cane workers gain a livelihood during the dead season, bearing in mind that the means used must be such that the workers will again be avail…
"Flowery war" in Aztec history
The notion that the Aztec fought "flowery wars" primarily to provide captives needed for human sacrifice is called into question. The data on wars called "flowery" in the ethnohistorical sources indicate that they were simply wars not aimed at conquest, and that the most common motive for waging them was to provide military training and practice
Economia politica e ideologia en el Mexico prehispanico
Economía política e ideología en el México prehispánico
Tetzcoco in the early 16th century: The State, the City, and the Calpolli
Examination of the internal structure and system of tribute in the pre-Hispanic city of Tetzcoco, Mexico, indicates that the city contained several kinds of territorial groupings that received the services of commoners. These commoners were organized into calpolli, which were basically groups with common tributary obligations. They gave service either in food production, unskilled labor, or specialized skilled work, but it was usually part-time, …
The Internal Dynamics of the Early State [and Comments and Reply]
This article addresses the question of why only some early states develop into mature ones. The main differences between the two types of states having been outlined, four fields are indicated in which changes may take place. The field of the societal format involves problems of infrastructure, communication, and control. The field of economic development includes such aspects as trade and markets and the income and expenditures of the state. In …
Aztekischer Zensus: Zur indianischen Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Marquesado um 1540. 2 Vols
Trade, Tribute, and Transportation: The Sixteenth-Century Political Economy of the Valley of Mexico
The Aztec Empire: The Toltec Resurgence
Subject States and Tribute Provinces: The Aztec Empire in the Northern Valley of Mexico
The Aztec empire was composed of at least two kinds of entities, subject states and tribute provinces, and these were administered through at least two separate hierarchies. Imperial tribute, which was extracted from the common people, was not delivered through the same channels as those through which subject rulers interacted with their imperial overlords. This arrangement enabled the latter to deal with the subject rulers not as tribute-givers,…
The Mesoamerican Ballgame
Alliance and intervention in Aztec imperial expansion
The growth of the Empire of the Triple Alliance, or Aztec empire, is recounted in a number of sources, and all of them describe how it was built through wars of conquest waged by the allied cities of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City), Tetzcoco (Texcoco), and Tlacopan (Tacuba). These conquests began with the overthrow of the Tepanec empire in 1428, and did not end until the Spanish conquest in 1519. The Mexica of Tenochtitlan and their allies foug…
Factional Competition and Political Development in the New World
Factionalism is an important force of social transformation, and this volume examines how factional competition in the kinship and political structures in ancient New World societies led to the development of chiefdoms, states and empires. The case studies, from a range of New World societies, represent all levels of non-egalitarian societies and a wide variety of ecological settings in the New World. They document the effects of factionalism on …
Class and State in Aztec Official Ideology
Presente, pasado y futuro de las chinampas . Teresa Rojas Rabiela
Ideology and the Formation of Early States
Eighteen authors from 10 countries offer an assessment of the role of ideology in the emergence and development of early states. In a comparative perspective the significance of ideology in the processes that led to formation of states in Europe, Africa, Meso-America and Polynesia is discussed by specialists in the fields of anthropology, history and archaeology. Special attention is given to subjects such as the concept of ideology, regional com…
Aztec Imperial Strategies
Aztec Imperial Strategies. Frances F. Berdan. Richard E. Blanton. Elizabeth Hill Boone. Mary G. Hodge. Michael E. Smith. and Emily Umberger. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collections, 1996. 392 pp
Presidential Address: Skepticism in Ethnohistory
I want to address what I think is the importance of skepticism both among the people we study and among those of us who study them. Since my field is the ethnohistory of late pre-Hispanic Mexico, I take most of my examples from there, but I want to start out with an anecdote from a very different part of the world, because it illustrates particularly well the point I want to make. The people of the Trobriand Islands, in Melanesia, believe that wh…
Estructura Politico-Territorial del Imperio Tenochca: La Triple Alianza de Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco y Tlacopan
The Middle Class in Ancient Central Mexico
Ancient Mexico had a system of estates, based on birth, and classes, based on power, and it is important to distinguish between them. There were two estates: noble and commoner. Classes are constructs of the observer and there is no fixed number, but I believe that in any stratified society, there must be at least three. I identify the middle class of ancient Mexico, which included both commoners and nobles, and argue that it played an essential …
Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God: Tezcatlipoca, “Lord of the Smoking Mirror”
Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God: Tezcatlipoca, “Lord of the Smoking Mirror.” Guilhem Olivier, Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2003, 403 pp
Latin American history and culture (22 works) · Political science (18 works) · History (17 works) · Law (13 works) · Archaeology (12 works) · History (11 works) · Politics (11 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Geography (9 works) · Law (8 works)