Aztec Civilization

By:Sydney Brookshire
The ancient aztec civilization began as nomadic tribe, that arrived in the Mexico area
around the 13th century. The 4th and most important Aztec leader, Itzcoatl was replaced in 1440
by his successor and brother Montezuma. Under Moctezuma's reign, the capital city, Tenochtitlan
became a main hub and was the central point of the empire. The Aztecs ruled over 50 small states
and around 5 to 6 million people by the early 16th century. This civilization was highly advanced
in every way possible, socially, economically, and politically. The Aztec developed a calendar
that was based on a solar cycle of 365 days and a ritual cycle of 260 days. This calender was
used in many places/ communities and is used for scientific research today. The society was
divided into a caste system, where the nobles/priests were on the top and the serf/ slaves were on
the bottom. In the middle class there were the common people who were farmers, hunters, and
physical craftsmen. Within the caste system the social and economic gap between the rich and
poor was significant. The Aztec had developed a language called Nahuatl, which became
widespread rapidly. This language was used within and around each part of the civilization. The
Aztec had a polytheistic religion, where they believed in many gods. They showed their love and
respect for their gods by building temples, plazas, and palaces. Two examples of their gods are
Huitzilopochtli (God of war and sun) and Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent). The Aztec built a
strong empire and they used their technological advancements to their advantage.
The Aztecs showed much respect towards art and architecture. They often took
fragmented pieces of late emperors art and buried them in the city of Tenochtitlan. Their statues
and sculptures were often made of many types of objects such as amethyst, rock crystal, gold
silver, and exotic feathers. This form of artwork was exotic, but the most eye catching form of
artwork was the mosaics.
Although the Aztec had a very fierce and strong civilization, they were defeated by
Hernan Cortes on August 13, 1521. They campaign began in February. The spanish came into the
Aztec empire and captured the emperor and the capital city, Tenochtitlan. There were many
factors that played a part in the fall of the Aztec. Disease was a major cause, along with the
brutal tactics of the conquistadors. The spanish invaders brought many diseases along with them
and the Aztecs had no immunity to them. It is believed that 240,000 Aztecs were killed in the
invasion.
The ancient civilization of the Aztec have a great legacy to leave behind. Although they
were eradicated by, which seems to be simple means, they were strong and courageous. They
fought and died for what they believed in. They were intelligent in their ways of social class,
time management, and economics. Many of their common ideas are used today for scientific
research. The Aztecs felt very strongly about religion and went to great means to glorify and pay
respect to their gods. Within the Aztec community, there are many characteristics that we could
apply to our lives today. Such as the characteristic of searching and seeking the most innovative
way of producing products and services more efficiently. Also, the characteristic of knowing
what our beliefs are and standing strong in them, rather than collapsing in times of trouble. The
Aztecs were very appreciative of art and they used mosaics and sculptures as a form of respect.
The Aztecs may not have been victorious in keeping their empire alive and their fall may have
been brutal, but they shared many fascinating attributes to our world today.