The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican civilization who ruled over central Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries. In 2021, Wereldmuseum Leiden (then known as Volkenkunde), hosted the first ever Aztec exhibition in the Netherlands as well as a series of lectures by researchers and curators. Want to know more about the Aztecs? Below you find the answers the most frequently asked questions.
The Aztecs lived in the central highlands of Mexico, in the region known as Mesoamerica. They founded their empire around 1300 and it lasted until 1521, when Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés conquered their capital Tenochtitlan. The Aztec empire stretched across hundreds of kilometres, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and from the mountains around Tenochtitlan to the jungles of South America.
The Aztecs spoke Nahuatl. Today, over one and a half million people still speak Nahuatl, including descendants of the Aztecs in Mexico and members of the Chicano community in the United States. These people are Americans with a Mexican background who use Nahuatl as a symbol of cultural identity and pride in their indigenous roots.
At its height, the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan was home to around 200,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time and surpassing most European cities. The total population of the Aztec Empire is estimated to have been between 5 and 6 million people. However, after the Spanish conquest and the devastating spread of European diseases such as smallpox, the population collapsed dramatically within just a few decades.
The word 'Aztecs' was invented by European researchers; the people themselves never used that name. The residents of Tenochtitlan called themselves Mexica, which is also the origin of the name Mexico. According to legend, they originally came from a place called Aztlan, which is where the European term 'Aztecs' was later derived from. Their language was called Nahuatl, which is still spoken by around one and a half million people today.
The Maya and the Aztecs are often confused, but they were distinct civilizations. The Maya lived in southern Mexico and Central America, while the Aztecs ruled central Mexico. The Maya also existed much earlier, their civilization dates to around 2000 BC, while the Aztec Empire rose in the 14th century. Both civilizations had a calendar, but their systems were different. In terms of writing, the Maya used hieroglyphs while the Aztecs used a pictographic system.
Yes, the Aztecs used a pictographic writing system, conveying information through images rather than letters. They also produced codices, handmade books containing historical, religious and astronomical information. In addition, the Aztecs had a sophisticated calendar system.
The Sun Stone, a large circular stone covered in inscriptions, was used to measure time, establish dates for important festivals and guide agricultural cycles such as sowing and harvesting. For the Aztecs, time was not abstract, it was something living, that is born, grows, decays and is reborn.
When the Spanish arrived, their aim was to justify the invasion. One of the ways of justifying their actions was by painting the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples as bloodthirsty barbarians. Which caused the Spaniards to grossly exaggerate the atrocities of the Aztecs, like human sacrificing. One colonial source claimed that 80,000 people were sacrificed at the inauguration of one particular Aztec emperor, which would mean 15 people killed per minute over four days, an implausibly high number. These kinds of claims were part of the Spanish propaganda to legitimate the invasion.
Archaeological evidence tells a different story. Human remains have been found in the sacred district around the Templo Mayor, but the numbers are consistent with a few hundred people, nothing like the thousands suggested by Spanish accounts. Whether these remains are executed prisoners of war or Tenochtitlan residents are still being investigated. What is clear however, is that human sacrifice existed, but the scale was heavily distorted by colonial propaganda.
Like many ancient civilizations, the Aztecs believed in multiple gods. They also believed that nature itself was sacred, mountains, caves, lakes and even plants were seen as divine and played a central role in their rituals. After the Spanish conquest however, the indigenous population was forced to convert to Christianity. Over time, age-old Aztec rituals became mixed with Catholic customs, giving rise to a new form of religion. Most descendants today are Catholic, but in a way that is quite different from Western Christianity since ancient indigenous traditions are still woven into their faith.
More than you might think. The Aztecs influenced the world through their food, language, culture and traditions, many of which are still part of everyday life today. The Aztecs were among the first to cultivate cacao, though it was the Maya who used it even earlier. The Aztecs drank it as a bitter, spiced beverage and used cacao beans as currency. It was only after the Spanish brought cacao to Europe that it was sweetened with sugar and became the chocolate we know today.
Many everyday words also trace back to Nahuatl, the Aztec language, including tomato, avocado, chocolate and chilli. Additionally, the Aztec Sun Stone has become a global cultural icon, appearing in tattoos and art around the world.
The Aztecs' cultural legacy can also be seen in Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). Although the celebration is now closely associated with Catholic traditions, it also incorporates older Indigenous customs, including influences from the Aztec festival Miccailhuitl (meaning "the day of the dead)", during which food and drink were offered to the deceased. Many of these traditions continue to be observed in Mexico today.
In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, bringing the empire to an end. The fall was swift and devastating. The Spanish did not act alone but formed alliances with local peoples who resented Aztec rule. Combined with superior weaponry and the catastrophic spread of European diseases such as smallpox, to which the Aztecs had no immunity, the empire collapsed within two years.
After the conquest, the Spanish systematically destroyed Aztec temples and built their own structures on top. The stones of the most sacred Aztec temple, the Templo Mayor, were used to build the great cathedral of Mexico City, which still stands today. But the story doesn't end there. In 1978, construction workers discovered an enormous stone carving of the goddess Coyolxauhqui right next to the cathedral, revealing that the Templo Mayor lay buried beneath the city. Since then, archaeologists have excavated hundreds of thousands of objects from the site. If you walk through the centre of Mexico City today, you are literally walking on top of the remains of Tenochtitlan.
The Aztecs as an empire no longer exists, but their descendants are very much alive. Today, around one and a half million people still speak Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. Many indigenous communities in Mexico continue to practice rituals that trace back to Aztec traditions. The language and culture of the Aztecs live on, not just in Mexico, but around the world.
Our knowledge of the Aztecs comes from multiple sources: indigenous books and codices, European colonial accounts, archaeological research and comparisons with contemporary indigenous cultures. It is important to note that many colonial accounts were written by the Spanish to justify their conquest, so historians must carefully weigh different sources against each other.
Far from it. To this day, new discoveries are being made in Mexico City on a daily basis. Archaeologists continue to excavate around the Templo Mayor and regularly make spectacular new finds. However much we know about the Aztecs, there is still a great deal waiting to be discovered.
Want to learn more? Discover more fascinating stories from cultures around the world at Wereldmuseum Leiden.