The Aztec world was a world of specialists. In the political sphere there were royal advisers, ambassadors, military officers, judges, tax collectors, and scribes, along with a bevy of administrators and palace servants. Royal palaces could support intellectuals such as philosophers and astronomers, skilled architects and engineers, trained zoo and aviary caretakers, gardeners, and performers for the amusement of the ruler. In the world of religion, there were hierarchies of priests for every deity, supported by teachers, “composers of songs,” and cadres of priestly assistants. In the subsistence realm, it is likely that most food producers cultivated an assortment of crops or sought a variety of wild resources. Yet some foods, such as turkeys and their eggs, pulque, salt, and aquatic fauna, may have been available through specialized efforts (see Chapter 3). The service sector of the economy included barbers, porters, collectors of fresh water, masons, midwives, physicians, astrologers, and prostitutes. Numerous regional traders and long-distance merchants plied their trades full time.