In 1520 the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his men landed in Mexico. The cities and artistic treasures they found there astounded them, and golden, feathered, and turquoise objects presented ...

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...

Xochipilli the Aztec god of flowers, ecstasy, and sacred plants.

For sheer barbaric brutality, it was hard to beat the Aztecs. They believed their gods required human blood and hearts as sustenance, and they faithfully delivered. Sacrificial victims–often captured ...

"A sun of gold fully six feet broad and a moon of silver… all kinds of wondrous objects of various sizes. All the days of my life I have seen nothing that gladdened my heart so much," wrote Albrecht ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Writer, editor, publisher and fan of all things handwritten. Each spring, Montblanc introduces a limited edition writing ...