Aztecs
Aztecs
The Aztecs (/ˈæztɛks/; Nahuatl: Aztecah, pronounced [asˈtekaʔ]) were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec culture is generally grouped with the cultural complex known as the Nahuatl speakers because the language that they spoke originated from the common Uto-Aztecan linguistic family.
Etymology
The term "Aztec" comes from the Nahuatl word "aztecatl", which means "people from Aztlan". Aztlan is a mythical place in Nahuatl mythology. The term was not used by the Aztecs themselves but was used by the Spanish to describe the Nahuatl-speaking groups who lived in the Valley of Mexico.
Society
Aztec society was highly complex and stratified. It was composed of a number of classes, including nobles (pipiltin), commoners (macehualtin), serfs, and slaves. The Aztec society was highly urbanized, with large cities like Tenochtitlan, which was one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
Religion
The Aztecs practiced a polytheistic religion, worshipping a multitude of gods and goddesses. The most important deities were Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun, and Tlaloc, the god of rain and fertility.
Agriculture
The Aztecs were skilled farmers and developed a system of agriculture based on the cultivation of maize, beans, and squash, known as the "Three Sisters". They also developed a system of irrigation and terracing, known as chinampas, or "floating gardens".
Decline
The Aztec Empire came to an end in the 16th century when Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived in Mexico. The Spanish, with the help of other native groups, defeated the Aztecs and took control of their empire.
See also
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