Overview
This lecture covers the origins, society, religion, art, and historical legacy of the Aztecs (Mexica), focusing on their capital Tenochtitlan and their impact on Mesoamerican culture.
The Aztecs (Mexica): Introduction and Origins
- The Aztecs called themselves Mexica, forming part of the Nahua ethnic group and spoke Nahuatl.
- "Aztec" comes from Aztlan, their mythical homeland, but they identified as Mexica.
- Migration myths describe the Mexica journey from Aztlan, guided by their god Huitzilopochtli.
- The Mexica settled on an island in Lake Texcoco in 1325, founding Tenochtitlan after seeing an eagle on a cactus.
Formation and Structure of the Aztec Empire
- The Mexica allied with Texcoco and Tlacopan, forming the Triple Alliance (often called Aztec Empire).
- The empire expanded through conquest wars and ritual "flowery wars" for training and capturing sacrificial victims.
- Conquered peoples paid tribute in goods such as feathers, jade, and textiles.
- Frequent uprisings occurred, and many allied with the Spanish during the conquest.
Society, Governance, and Daily Life
- The ruler was called huey tlatoani ("chief speaker"), responsible for rituals, city maintenance, and military leadership.
- Tenochtitlan was a large, engineered city with floating gardens (chinampas) for agriculture.
- Aqueducts supplied fresh water to the city, aiding its survival and growth.
Religion and Deities
- The Templo Mayor, at the city's center, had twin temples for Huitzilopochtli (war/sun) and Tlaloc (rain/agriculture).
- Other important deities included Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, Chalchiuhtlicue, Chicomecoatl, Cinteotl, Mictlancihuatl, and Mictlantecuhtli.
- Warfare and sacrifice were central to religious practices, symbolized by the concepts of fire and water (atl-tlachinolli).
Calendars, Art, and Writing
- The Aztecs used a 260-day ritual calendar (tonalpohualli) and a 365-day solar calendar (xiuhpohualli), each with its festivals and ceremonies.
- Artworks included monumental stone sculptures, ceramics, murals, featherwork, and mosaics, often blending realism with abstraction.
- The Mexica respected earlier cultures, burying ancient objects (e.g., Olmec masks) at their temples.
- Aztec writing combined glyphs and pictorial symbols; names and places were represented visually rather than with an alphabet.
Spanish Conquest and Legacy
- Tenochtitlan fell to Cortés and his allies in 1521, weakened by siege and European diseases.
- Aztec traditions and arts continued and transformed throughout the colonial era.
- Ongoing archaeological discoveries continue to reshape understanding of Aztec civilization.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Mexica — The name the Aztecs used for themselves.
- Nahuatl — The language spoken by the Mexica and related groups.
- Aztlan — Mythical homeland of the Mexica.
- Tenochtitlan — Mexica capital city on Lake Texcoco.
- Triple Alliance — Military alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan.
- Huey tlatoani — The emperor or chief ruler of the Mexica.
- Chinampas — Man-made floating gardens used for agriculture.
- Templo Mayor — Main temple in Tenochtitlan with twin shrines.
- Tlaloc & Huitzilopochtli — Major Mexica deities (rain/agriculture and sun/war).
- Tonalli/xiuhpohualli — Ritual and solar calendars.
- Glyph — Picture-based symbol used in Aztec writing.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review related Aztec artworks and codices in museum collections.
- Study images and diagrams of Tenochtitlan, the Templo Mayor, and chinampas.
- Explore more on the impact of the Spanish conquest on Aztec culture in follow-up readings.