You also visit an Aztec school. There, boys receive moral instruction—rules about the right and wrong way to behave. They also learn military drills. The boys practice with miniature weapons. They throw spears and carry special wooden clubs studded with sharp pieces of a natural glass-like rock.

A visit to a school for the sons of Aztec nobles turns out to be a hair-raising experience. You quickly realize that the teachers in this school are Aztec priests. You’ve had some tough teachers over the years. But you’ve never had one who painted his face black, did not wash his hair for religious reasons, and performed human sacrifices!

The priests train their students to become priests and scribes. Students study Aztec religion and astronomy and learn how to read and write Aztec hieroglyphs. They also learn how to record information in a special kind of book called a codex. This is a long strip of tree bark that folds up like an accordion. The pages of the codex are covered with pictures and pictograms. The priest explains that the codices (/kohduhseez/) are used to keep lists of rulers, to record payments made by conquered people, and to keep track of religious holidays.