The Archaeologist Who Helped Mexico Find Glory in Its Indigenous Past

Zelia Nuttall, who began an academic career in archaeology after she divorced her archaeologist husband in 1888, is best known for her work on ancient Mexican manuscripts.
"Historically, 19th century archaeology has centered on heroic histories of white men’s conquest and exploration of foreign lands. Mexican-American archaeologist Zelia Nuttall was neither a man, nor an explorer in the traditional sense. Perhaps her unique perspective helps account for her unconventional approach: For over 30 years, Nuttall investigated Mexico’s past to give recognition and pride to its present—a project Western archaeology had largely ignored in favor of bloody, salacious narratives of Mesoamerican savages. ..."
Smithsonian
An Introduction to pre-Hispanic Mixtec Codices
Codex Nuttall; facsimile of an ancient Mexican codex belonging to Lord Zouche of Harynworth, England

Map of the Aztec Empire lead by Tenochtitlan circa 1519, before the arrival of the Spanish.