The Aztecs were a pre-columbian civilization who inhabited the region of present-day Mexico and Guatemala during the 14th and 16th centuries.
Considered a warrior people, the Aztecs managed to build in just two centuries one of the most important empires. history, containing more than 500 cities and a population of approximately 15 million people.
The Aztec Empire was commanded by an emperor, a figure of extreme importance and who was responsible for leading the army. As a society dedicated to war, the Aztec elite was formed by heads of the military forces.
Like most civilizations, Aztec society was stratified into different social groups: nobility (formed by the emperor and other members of the political and military elite); merchants (intermediate class); peasants (lowest class); and slaves (predominantly formed by prisoners of war).
The Aztec Empire was ruled from the city of Tenochtitlan, which is currently known as Mexico City, the Mexican capital.
Aztec sovereignty in this region was undermined by Spanish invasion and domination during the 16th century. Led by Diego Velásquez and Hernán Cortés, the Spaniards destroyed the Aztec empire.
See also: the meaning of Incas and of the Mayans.
Aztec Calendar
Like the Mayans, the Aztecs also developed their own calendar.
Known as "Sunstone", the Aztec calendar is famous for its incredible accuracy. Based on the solar year, the calendar is formed by 365 days (just like today), which are divided into 19 months (18 with 20 days each, and 1 with only 5 days).
Culture
The Aztec people developed their own and quite complex writing system, divided into two styles: pictographic, used to represent objects and figures, and other hieroglyphic, formed by symbols and sounds.
Aztec art is very rich, marked by the use of gold, silver, fabrics, paints and other materials to produce different types of ornaments. Aztec architecture is also well known for the construction of huge pyramids and temples, which were used during religious rituals.
Economy
The basis of the Aztec economy was agriculture, where corn, pepper, tomato, pumpkin, cocoa and other types of grains predominated. The Aztecs developed a sophisticated drainage system and cultivation islands (chinampas), in addition to other agricultural techniques that helped to ensure better planting efficiency.
In addition to agronomy, trade also consisted of the exchange of goods, such as handicrafts, animals, services and food.
Religion
The Aztec religion is polytheistic, that is, they worshiped several different gods, who were considered personifications of the forces of nature, such as thunder, rain, sun, moon and so on.
As in other pre-Columbian civilizations, the Aztecs also made human sacrifices in rituals dedicated to their gods. Usually, the nobler and braver warriors were sacrificed, an act considered of extreme honor.
Incas, Mayans and Aztecs
They are pre-Columbian peoples who dominated different regions of the American continent in different periods of time.
Each people had its particularity, culture and tradition, but all are similar in one aspect: they entered history as important and developed civilizations.
Find out which ones differences and similarities between the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas.
