Ross Hassig

Ross Hassig (December 13, 1945 - March 2, 2025 ) was an American historical anthropologist specializing in Mesoamerican studies, particularly the Aztec culture. His focus was often on the description of practical infrastructure in Mesoamerican societies. He was the author of several influential books, among them: Time, History, and Belief in Aztec and Colonial Mexico; Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control; and Trade, Tribute, and Transportation: The Sixteenth-Century Political Economy of the Valley of Mexico.

Career Hassig began his academic career as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, where his studies initially focused on non-Western legal systems. He soon developed an interest in anthropology, later obtaining in 1974 his Master's degree from Vanderbilt in Law and Anthropology, with a thesis on political development among the Puebloan peoples at Acoma Pueblo. He then went on further his graduate studies at Stanford University, obtaining his Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology there in 1980.

During his time at Stanford, Hassig's research agenda shifted to focus on the cultures of Mesoamerica, where he investigated the economic and political foundations of pre- and post-conquest societies. Among the first of his studies was directed towards the underpinnings of the pre-Columbian Tarascan state.

In 1997–98 Hassig spent a year as Resident Scholar under the Weatherhead Fellowship program at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a primary focus on researching the Aztec calendar.

Hassig held a chair as Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma, until 2003 when he relocated to Tucson, Arizona. After leaving OU Hassig remained an independent scholar and author, continuing his research into Mesoamerican cultures and state societies.

Published works Hassig's published works include: authored books—

Hassig, Ross. Polygamy and the Rise and Demise of the Aztec Empire. University of New Mexico Press.2016 edited books—

contributed chapters—