The Aztecs

Date: 1168-1520
Location: Mexico

The Aztec Pyramid at St. Cecilia Acatitlan, Mexico State

        The Aztecs, or the Mexica as they call themselves began as an insignificant group in the Valley of Mexico, an area racked by constant warfare in the 13th century and ruled by petty kingdoms. They grew to be, by the 15th century, the most powerful people in Mesoamerica.

Aztec Culture

        Aztec culture is the culture of the people referred to as Aztecs, but since all ethnic groups of central Mexico in the post classic period shared most basic cultural traits, many of the basic traits of Aztec culture cannot be said to be exclusive for the Aztecs. For the same reason the notion of "Aztec civilization" is best understood as a particular horizon of a general Mesoamerican civilization.

The Coat of Arms of Mexico, from Aztec mythology

Aztec Religion

        The Aztecs had a large number of gods, related to the creation of the cosmos, to the sun, and to fertility, death, and war. The two main temples of Tenochtitlan were dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, and Tlaloc, the god of rain and water. Another important god, Quetzalcoatl, was the feathered-serpent god of wind, creativity, and fertility. The Aztecs believed that if they did not satisfy the gods with sacrifices of blood, the sun would not continue its journey across the sky.