Aztec Sacrifice

Recreated Aztec Sounds

The Rise of the Aztecs

Aztec Documentary

Causeways

 A causeway is a road or railway route across a broad body of water or wetland raised up on an embankment.

Chinampas

Chinampa is a method of ancient Meso-American agriculture which used small, rectangle-shaped areas of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico.

Aztec Mercenaries

The Aztec were often used as mercenary forces by these tribes in their many disputes.  The aztec became fierce warriors due to this.  It gave them a chance to take ceremonial captives and to flex their military muscles.  Over time, they became such great warriors that they were able to conquer their neighbors outright.  This was the beginning of a long reign of dominance over what is now central Mexico.  

Teotihuacan, the "City of the Gods"

The cultural history of Teotihuacan dates back to the Upper PreClassic period, 500 B.C or earlier.  It was the the capital of the Toltec people.  It was one of the largest cities in the world.  This site adheres to strict geometric patterns and has many distinctive attributes that make it different from contemporary cultures.  Priests in society governed and  were adamant about learning, craft activities, and worshipping of gods (water gods [Tlaloc and Chalchiutlicue] and fire gods [Huehueteotl]).  

Avenue of the Dead

Pyramid of the Sun

The Great City of Tenochitlan

The Great City of Tenochitlan

The Great City of Tenochtitlan painted by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, 1945, in the National Palace in Mexico City.

Diego Rivera was an active and outspoken Communist who painted these murals (featuring the world of the Aztec people) after the Mexican Revolution as a way to give the Mexican people a sense of identity and pride in their history.

Aztec Laws

The Mexican Flag

Codex Mendoza

The basic design of the flag of Mexico is taken from the French Tricolor flag. The red, white and green are the colors of the national liberation army of Mexico. The coat of arms (centered) in the white band is the badge of Mexico City, the country's capital. Its main feature is an eagle, and it is said that an Aztec legend told them to build their new city on the exact spot where they saw an eagle sitting on a cactus, eating a snake. 

The coat of arms, also used in the Seal of the United Mexican States, depicts a Mexican Golden Eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus eating a snake. This symbolism had strong religious connotations to the Tenochtitlan people. To the Europeans, it symbolized the triumph of good over evil.

How the Mayan Calendar Works

For a complete explanation of the Mayan Calendar click HERE.