All about the ancient tribes
There are a lot of interesting things to learn about the Aztecs.
They exercised complete control over their territory throughout the 14th and 16th centuries, during which time they left behind a significant number of artifacts that are still examined today.It is true that many people believe the Aztec people to be violent and brutal; yet, the following six essential facts about the Aztecs may help shed some light on who they were as a society and provide a better understanding of who they were.
Sacrifices that will chill you. The Aztec civilisation was both awe-inspiring and horrifying; it was one of the greatest of all time. Agriculture, human sacrifice, and, of all things, cleanliness were the foundations of their civilisation, which was erected around the city of Tenochtitlan, which was located in the midst of Lake Texcoco.
Mexica was the name they gave to themselves.The term ″Aztec″ was not a term that was utilized by the Aztec people who lived at the time.The term ″Aztec″ alludes to the ″people of Aztlán,″ which is the presumed location of the Aztecs’ original homeland.This location might be in the southwestern United States or northern Mexico.A map from about the year 1521 that shows the full expanse of the Aztec Empire.
Mexico City is now one of the world’s most populous and largest capital cities.It is also one of the largest cities overall.When the Spaniards came, Tenochtitlan was already greater than the majority of the towns in Europe; this fact, which reportedly bothered the Europeans, caused them to take issue with Tenochtitlan.10.Teotihuacan is the one place associated with the Aztecs that every tourist to Mexico should check out.
The social, intellectual, and aesthetic aspects of the Aztec civilisation were all at a very high level of development. It was a highly structured civilization with a rigorous caste system. Nobles occupied the highest positions in the society, while serfs, indentured servants, and enslaved labourers occupied the lowest positions.
The Aztecs are most well-known in popular culture for the barbaric practice of human sacrifice, which occurred throughout their time. Despite this, the Aztec Empire held sway over central Mexico for about 200 years, during which time it utilized highly developed technology and engineering practices.
The Maya and the Toltecs were the first people in North America to cultivate cacao, and it was the Maya who taught the Toltecs and Aztecs about the economic worth of cacao beans.The Maya began cacao cultivation around 600 AD.The Aztecs were the first people to commercially trade cacao beans and followed their ancestors’ practices of making chocolate as a beverage.They also believed that the cacao fruit was a divine gift.
During the time that they were in power, the Aztecs farmed vast tracts of land. Corn, beans, and squash were the three most important foods in their diet. They added chiles and tomatoes to these ingredients. They also gathered a species of crayfish-like critter called an acocil, which is common in Lake Texcoco, as well as a type of algae called spirulina, which they baked into cakes.
The creation of mathematics, the canoe, the highly specialized Aztec calendar, and very effective types of medicine are just a few of the many achievements that may be attributed to the Aztec culture. Iron and bronze were not readily available to the Aztecs, so they relied on stone and wood for their implements and weaponry instead.
The Aztecs engaged in a wide variety of activities that may be classified as games and amusement.Playing a variety of board games and ball games was the primary form of amusement that the Aztecs enjoyed.The Aztec people enjoyed engaging in activities like as dancing, playing music, telling stories, and reading poetry.The cultures of Mesoamerica and South America placed a significant emphasis on the art forms of music and dance.
Their accomplishments in engineering include the building of a twin aqueduct, an enormous dike, causeways, and artificial islands. In addition to many other things, the Aztecs possessed a numerical system, a calendar, a significant amount of medical knowledge, and a robust history in poetry.
The psychological impact of mounted troops was significant since neither the Aztecs nor the Incas had ever seen people riding animals in the past. It is well known that Hernan De Soto, a companion of Pizarro, rode his horse all the way into the throne room of the Inca Emperor.
There is a possibility that corncobs discovered at two ancient sites in Peru (Paredones and Huaca Prieta) date back to as far as 4700 B.C. This leads one to believe that popcorn had already been consumed by people living around the coast of northern Peru at that point in time. The Aztec Indian festivities that took place in the early 16th century included popcorn heavily.
Chocolate makes its way to Spain.Instead of finding gold and other treasures, he came upon a cup of cocoa that had been presented to him by the Aztec monarch.After Cortés’ return to Spain, the Spanish were first exposed to cocoa seeds because of him.Although it was still consumed in the form of a drink, chocolate in Spain was typically blended with sugar and honey to mask the inherently bitter flavor.
Nahua is the name that has come to be used for the Aztecs’ descendants in modern times. More than one and a half million Nahua people make their life in tiny settlements that are spread out throughout wide swaths of rural Mexico. These people make their living mostly by farming and sometimes by selling handicrafts.
Is it possible that there are still Aztecs living today? Both yes and no The Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztecs, is still spoken by around one and a half million people today. In addition, there are a great number of indigenous communities that continue to practice ceremonies that date back to the Aztec civilization.
The Spanish were able to take control of Tenochtitlan because to their superior armament as well as a terrible outbreak of smallpox that occurred during the 93 days that Cortés’ army laid siege to the city. The triumph of Cortés brought to the fall of the Aztec empire, and the Spanish then started to cement their dominance over what would eventually become the province of New Spain.