The Aztec Empire

“With such wonderful sights to gaze on we did not know what to say, or if this was real that we saw before our eyes.”

–Bernal Diaz, a 26-year-old conquistador (Spanish conqueror), who fought in Cortés’s army. The Conquest of New Spain, 1580s.

Introduction

The Aztecs were a mighty civilization that flourished in Central America between 1325 and 1521, when they were forced to surrender to an invading Spanish army led by Hernán Cortés. From their magnificent capital, Tenochtitlan, they governed a vast empire that stretched from present-day Mexico to Guatemala, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans (see map). They are often remembered as a fierce and bloodthirsty race, aggressive in battle and engaging in human sacrifice to appease their various gods. However, as this exhibition shows, the Aztecs were also extremely civilized and sophisticated. They produced highly skilled and sensitive art, conceived perhaps the most advanced calendar of their time, and built extraordinary temples in clean and well-organized cities. [more]

Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Axis Mundi of the Universe		Templo Mayor and its Symbolism		Legendary Cultures– Aztec Ancestors
Mexican Bestiary		Peoples and Societies of the Aztec World		Noble Life and Everyday Life
Gods and Rituals		Manuscripts and Calendars		Cultures Subjugated By the Aztecs
The Tarascan Empire		The Twilight of the Empire