The Aztec

The Aztec Civilization was one of the most powerful and influential cultures in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, flourishing between the 14th and 16th centuries CE. Centered in the Valley of Mexico, the Aztecs established a vast empire that extended across much of central Mexico, with their capital at Tenochtitlan—a remarkable city built on an island in Lake Texcoco (modern-day Mexico City). The Aztecs were renowned for their advanced agricultural techniques, such as chinampas (floating gardens), complex social and political organization, impressive architecture and art, and deep religious traditions involving numerous deities and elaborate rituals, including human sacrifices.

Aztec Civilization

The Aztec

Introduction

The Aztec Civilization was one of the greatest and most sophisticated societies of pre-Columbian America, flourishing in central Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries CE. Known for their remarkable achievements in architecture, agriculture, art, and governance, the Aztecs built a powerful empire centered on their magnificent capital, Tenochtitlan, situated on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Great city Tenochtitlan

While the Itza were one of the last unconquered native civilizations in the New World, another post-classic kingdom drew the most attention from Mexico’s Spanish conquerors: the Aztec. The Aztec capital was the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan, founded around 1325 CE by a Nahuatlspeaking, previously nomadic group called the Mexica.

Tenochtitlan, a city of several small city-states

Tenochtitlan was composed of a network of dozens of smaller city states who used the lake environment to plant wetland gardens and used raised causeways to separate the gardens and move around the city. Some fields were raised as well, a feat which drained them and helped them contribute to supporting a population that totaled around 300,000 people (including the population of the neighboring city of Texcoco).

Canal for water drainage

Eventually a network of canals was created that drained fields, fed crops, and provided for navigation with canoes. Not only were these raised fields a source of multiple crops, but also the lake provided wildfowl, salamanders, and algae.

Formation of the Triple Alliance

However, as the population grew to over a million, other means of support were needed, so the people looked to outside tribute. Beginning in 1428, the Mexica sought independence from their Tepanec patrons and allied with other outlying towns to form the Triple Alliance, which by 1431 dominated the basin where they made their home. The unified Aztec people were led by the Mexica ruler Itzcoatl and his advisors.

Construction of causeways between cities

In making an alliance with Texcoco, the Aztec were able to build a causeway between the cities and help improve the infrastructure of Tenochtitlan. They then began construction on the Great Temple, a central market, and a larger network of gardens or chinampas. The Great Temple would become the orienting point for the entire city and would become the site of thousands of human sacrifices.

Human sacrifice

The Aztec are perhaps best known, and may even have grown infamous (like the Toltec and others before them), for practicing human sacrifice. However, the context in which these sacrifices take place reveals that they were not conducted in a wanton or random manner. First of all, for the new Aztecs, there was little tradition of and, therefore, little opportunity for community building to draw upon. Their rise to power had to have been quick and dramatic.

Aztec worldview

Furthermore, they possessed a worldview that held that even though they had achieved greatness, decline was inevitable. This view was present in their philosophy and their ceremonies—including those of sacrifice. This view was also important for ritual victims, because upon their death, they believed that they would be freed from the burdens of the uncertain human condition and become a carefree hummingbird or butterfly.

The presence of order despite the violence

For the Aztec, ritual provided a kind of protection against excess; there was order in it, even if it was violent. Men had no independent power, and gods were very abstract in their doling out of gifts. Finally, in the Mexica worldview, the earth receives rather than gives, much like it does in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Through fertility and death, humans satisfy that hunger. The process of birth and death is not “dust to dust” but the transition from one form of flesh to another. All man can do is order his portion of this natural cycle.

Conclusion

The Aztec Civilization stands as a testament to the creativity, resilience, and complexity of pre-Columbian societies in the Americas. Their remarkable achievements in urban planning, agriculture, art, and governance reflect a deep understanding of both nature and human organization. Despite the tragic fall of their empire in 1521 following the Spanish conquest, the spirit of the Aztecs endures in the cultural and historical identity of modern Mexico.

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