Apple has recently released a new app that allows users to access the Codex Mendoza, a 16th century, a historical book and a principal source on the Aztecs of pre-Columbian Mexico.
The codex was incorporated into the University of Oxford’s collection during the 17th century and remains there to this day. Until now, Mexicans or other researchers who wanted to consult the codex had to travel to Oxford or track down one of the rare copies, which are only available in English.
The app is interactive and allows users to scroll through the Codex Mendoza, mouse-over the Old Spanish text for translations into English or modern Spanish and click on images for detailed explanations. The app contains all of the folios from the three sections of the Codex, along with exterior and interior covers, signatures, seals and handwritten inscriptions.
Apple said that the app for Codex Mendoza embodies the first effort in the world to create a digital resource that allows for a deeper understanding of a Mexican codex.
