Culture of the Mexica-Aztecs

Lake Texcoco was the home of the capital city of the Aztecs-Tenochtitlan. Built on a lake with canals for streets, the Spanish called this beautiful city the "Venice of the Americas."

The Aztec dike protecting Tenochtitlan from floods is visible on the lower half of this Spanish map of the city.


















As with all cultures, food was a daily necessity. Many of the foods the Aztecs ate have become common place in our world today, corn (maize), chili, tamales, tortillas and salsa were all introduced to the Europeans through contact with the Aztec Empire.

A favorite drink of the Aztec elite was chocolate.
This scene is from the Nuttall Codex showing where a cup of foaming chocolate is exchanged at a marriage. The Aztec version of drinking chocolate was not sweet, it was spiced with hot peppers. After the conquest, the Spanish were the first to add sugar to the drink.

Aztec weapons were made of stone and wood. The Aztec Maquahuitl warclub/sword was a fearsome weapon used obsidian stone blades. The blades were razor sharp but virtually useless against the steel armor and weapons of the Spanish.

Education was mandatory for all Aztec children; great store was put into the concept that knowledge strengthened the society.











Ullamaliztli-The main Ball Game of the Aztecs. On important religious occasions the losing team was often sacrificed to the gods.

The full Ullamaliztli ball court with the hoops in opposite walls. Similar to soccer, the ball could not be touched with the hands.  The object was to have the ball go through the small stone hoop at the center of either wall. 

Human sacrifice was seen as necessary to feed the gods. The Aztecs believed that without the most precious thing on earth, human life, the gods would die and the World would end. The numbers of lives given to the gods is unknown, some sources say hundreds a year, some say thousands and others estimate tens of thousands per year. Nothing convinced the Spanish that the Aztecs were barbarian more than this aspect of the culture of the Mexica.

Jaguar brazier used to burn the hearts of sacrificial victims so to speed their way to the gods.

Temple complex of Tenochtitlan.

This pair of Aztec warrior effigy incense burners were found at the entrance of a tomb.

Aztec warriors were proud, brave men who wore elaborate colorful costumes and jewelry into battle.  The more important the warrior the fancier the outfit he wore.

Surrender of Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec Emperor, to Cortez (note Dona Marina at the side of Cortez-her revenge is complete). In 1525 the Spanish executed Cuauhtemoc officially ending the Aztec Empire.

Major Results of the Conquest of Mexico

The century+ old Aztec Empire was completely destroyed in less than two years by the Spanish under Cortez.

The Aztec Empire was replaced by the new Spanish Empire. Mexico became New Spain and much of the rest of the Americas came under Spanish rule. Mexico would not gain its independence until the 1820's and the last Spanish colonies in the New World (Cuba and Porto Rico) would not be lost until 1898.

The beautiful works of art that Aztecs made of gold became a lure to the conquistadors who lusted for wealth.

For more than two centuries, the Spanish would take tons of gold from their new colonies. This wealth would pay for wars, palaces and all forms of pleasures, enriching the coffers of the Europeans and funding more colonial conquests.

The great engineering works of the Aztecs and the beautiful city of Tenochtitlan were smashed and replaced by European structures. The ruins of the Temple Mayor, once almost 200 feet high, stand mute testimony to the destruction of the Aztec culture. The religion of blood sacrifice and multiple gods died as had so many of its victims-seeped in blood.

Catholic priests and missionaries converted the peoples of the new Spanish Empire. The Roman Catholic religion replaced the gods of old. War, slavery, maltreatment and most deadly of all-diseases of the "Old World" for which the peoples of the Western Hemisphere had no immunities, decimated the populations of the new colonies. With the loss of 90% of the work force new sources of labor would be needed. Slaves from Africa were seen as the best choice for much needed labor in the "New World." Africans were inexpensive and coming from tropical climates were thought to be less susceptible to the fevers and diseases that were deadly to the Europeans (Yellow Fever being the most feared). For the next three centuries, tens of millions of slaves would be taken to the Americas as more and more colonies were established by the Europeans. The conquest of the Aztecs established a pattern to follow for the European nations greedy for wealth, new lands and prestige. "Modern" European weapons, and the organization of powerful colonial powers would set out to conquer the rest of the known and unknown World. For three centuries the European empires would grow, numerous wars would be fought (culminating in the greatest war in history, World War Two), countless millions would die, the World and human history would be changed forever.

Cortez and the Conquest of Mexico

Aztec (Mexica)Emperor Moctezuma II, ruler of the empire when Cortez and his conquistadors arrived. His fatalistic view of history and religion influenced his decisions on how to deal with the Spanish Invaders. His original belief that the Spanish were of Divine origin was a critical mistake. His apprehension at angering the gods caused him to delay any decisive action until it was too late-a fatal error for the Aztec Empire.

Cortez was quick to exploit Aztec weaknesses, he encouraged the belief that he was Divine with "supernatural powers," and exploited the hatred among neighboring tribes that the Aztec's had created in their endless wars for human sacrifices to their gods. Here the Lady Dona Marina (La Malinche), the main interpreter for Cortez, advises him as he meets with local leaders who have joined him in the war against the Aztecs. Note the feathered headdress of leadership that Cortez has adopted and the Spanish soldier that is leading Indian warriors.



One of the greatest "supernatural powers" of the Spanish was gunpowder. Cannons like this one were totally unknown in the "New World" and seemed to be the voice of doom from the gods to the Aztecs. Muskets, crossbows, warhorses, wardogs, steel armor and weapons were all unknown before the Spanish arrived and completely out classed the Stone Age weapons and armor of wood and cloth of the Aztecs.

The outcome of the initial engagements between the Spanish and Indians were overwhelmingly in favor of the Spanish. Each victory seemed to prove the divine nature of Cortez and brought more and more Native American Allies to his support, from the tribe's hostile to the Aztecs.

The emperor allowed the Spanish to enter his capital city. When Cortez and Moctezuma II met in person it took very little time for the latter to realize the Spaniard was not Divine but an all to normal greedy human. Cortez then seized the emperor, making him a prisoner in his own palace.

Soon the people revolted against the Spanish, Moctezuma II was killed (by who is unclear to this day) and the Spanish had to fight their way out of the city. Unable to use their full strength while retreating along the causeways above the lake, the Spanish suffered their only defeat at the hands of the Aztecs.  So many fell, over 400 Spanish and thousands of their Indian allies, that the disaster became known as "La Noche Triste" (the Night of Sorrows).  Cortez saw this as a temporary setback, the riches of the capital and empire were too great to turn back now, revenge would be overwhelming and brutal.



Using modern European arms and armor and his Indian allies (eventually more than 50,000 Indian warriors fought as allies of the Spanish) Cortez defeated the Aztec Armies and fought his way back to Tenochtitlan.



The Aztec Capital was built upon lake Texcoco with three causeways connecting to the land. Fresh water was brought from the mountains by dual aqueducts, while food supplies were bought from the mainland by canoe or by human porters via the causeways. The lake was both the greatest defense and weakness of the capital, as it not only protected the city it also isolated it from food and clean water.

To subdue the city, Cortez destroyed the aqueducts, forcing the people of the capital to drink the polluted water from the lake. He then blockaded the city from food and reinforcements by using thirteen brigs (small sailing boats that could also use oars) armed with cannon, musketeers, and crossbowmen that he designed and built at the lake. As the people became weaker, Cortez launched his attacks by destroying every building, street by street, throughout the city.


Starvation, foul water, and the greatest killer-smallpox soon decimated the city's population. Tens of thousands died. The survivors fought on hoping for a miracle, but their gods had failed them, and no miracle came, only death and destruction.

The fighting in the streets of the capital was brutal hand to hand. In a futile final stand the last Aztec warriors massed at the Great Temple Pyramid and fought step by step up its side until the last priests and warriors died near the alter stones that symbolized their lost culture. With religious zeal the Spanish and their Allies tore the hated temple down stone by stone. The materials from this and the other once great Aztec buildings were used as land fill and for the construction of a new European style city-Mexico City.

Aztecs the Warrior Empire

The founding of the capital city of the Aztec's, Tenochtitlan, was based on a sign from the gods. Where an eagle was seen killing a rattlesnake on a cactus would be the site for the Aztecs to build their city.



The Aztec Empire was built by warfare. In Pre-Columbian times their army was never defeated. All warriors aspired to reach the special ranks of Eagle or Jaguar Warrior castes as they were the elites of the Aztec Army


The great temple of Tenochtitlan, dedicated to the gods Huitzilopochtli (war & sun god) and Tlaloc (rain god).

The Aztec was the largest empire in Central America, but not the only civilized culture with cities, armies and power. The Tlaxcala were especially strong foes the Aztecs were constantly fighting.












The Sun Calendar of the Aztecs was both a sacred calendar (Tonalpohualli) of 260 days and a yearly one (Xiuhpohualli) of 365 days. The lives of upwards of 25 million people of the Aztec Empire were ruled by the priest's interpretation of this calendar.



The pantheon of Aztec gods was very large (see links site). Every key aspect of life had a representative god. This is Tlaloc, "He Who Makes Things Sprout," the god of rain, lightning and thunder. All gods needed sacrifices, but only the most important needed human blood daily.














          Captain General Hernando Cortez, commander of the Spanish troops that landed in Mexico in 1519. An event that caused great upheaval and eventual destruction of the Aztec World.


La Malinche-Dona Marina, the native lover, advisor, and interpreter of Cortez. Her assistance was critical to the Spanish Conquest of Mexico.