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700 Years Ago in Central America

Chichen Itza

The Aztecs were late comers to the Valley of Mexico, recent emigrants from the desert frontiers of northern Mesoamerica (another term for Central America). Legend says they left their original homeland of Aztlan (hence the name Aztec) around 900 AD. The name Mexico comes from one of the Aztec clans, the Mexica. The early Aztec clans fought against the ruling Toltecs, but were usually defeated. The Mexica instead of fighting the Toltecs fought for them as mercenaries (hired soldiers), and became the military power of the region. In later wars, the Mexica had to flee their Toltec homeland.

Led by their tribal god, Huitzilopochtli, the Mexica Aztecs arrived in the Central Plateau of Mexico around 1200. The city of Tenochtitlan, founded in 1325, was built on a rocky island in Lake Texcoco where the Aztecs discovered an eagle perched on a cactus with a serpent in its mouth. They had been told by Huitzilopochtli that this symbol, still the emblem of modern Mexico, would mark the spot for their capital city. Ancient ideas concerning religion, agriculture, trade, markets, and the need for human sacrifice were adopted by the Aztecs from earlier peoples such as the Toltecs, Mixtecs and Olmecs.

By 1430, Tenochtitlan was part of a three-city league with Tlacopan and Texcoco. The alliance soon gained control of most of central Mexico, except for a few independent cities like Tlaxcala. Internal fighting began, with Tenochtitlan emerging as the centre of a new Aztec Empire. Under the Emperor Moctezuma II (who ruled 1505-1520), Tenochtitlan had a population of 250,000 people making it one of the largest urban centres in the world.

The Sun Stone

Sun Stone, Aztec Calendar

This decoration is taken from a stone altar often called the Sun Stone, or the Aztec Calendar. However, the altar was where victims of human sacrifice were killed. The pictures on the stone are taken from the Aztec calendar. The colours are based minute paint particles left on the stone. Like the Mayas, the Aztecs counted time in years of 365 days based on the solar cycle and a religious year based on the cycles of the planet Venus. The centre of the stone shows the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli. Huitzilopochtli also represents the sungod, Tonatiuh. His tongue is formed by the tecpatl (stone knife). It can be seen as a sign of authority and refers to the human hearts that had to be offered to the sun to keep it moving. This tongue points towards the heads of the two monsters that form the outer circle of the stone. In the mouth of the monster on the left side one can see the firegod Xiuhtecuhtli. The other monster has the sungod Tonatiuh in its beak, perhaps representing the everlasting battle between these two elemental forces. Around it is a double ring with the twenty "day signs" of the religious year. Each day of the Aztec year was associated with or "protected" by one of the day signs. These included various animals and objects with different symbolic meanings, something like the 12 months of the zodiac. Cipactli the crocodile symbolizes energy and work, and this is a good day to begin new things. Xochitl the flower marks a good day for reflection and spending time with friends.

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