Written as a travel memoir, Aztec Land provides readers with a descriptive account of Aztec ruins and artifacts and the history of the Aztec Empire's economy. According to legends, the Aztec Empire had one of the most booming economies of any community in Mesoamerica. The nobles and kings controlled the land and labor of the people. Nobles owned all of the land, and workers labored as part of a sharecropping system. These workers were excellent craftspeople and often made extravagant products for the nobles, including featherwork, sculptures and jewelry. Other goods in abundance were chocolate and cotton. Exchanges were made using cacao beans. Surprisingly, because of the abundance of gold in the empire, Aztec commoners could purchase gold statues for gods' temples for around 250 beans, less than the cost of some cotton cloths.
