Blood, human sacrifice, and savage ways are conceptions of the Aztec civilization that a mind novice in Aztec history has formulated. These misconceptions can be attributed in part to the destruction of historical archives and undiscovered pieces of information nestled within Aztec ruins. It is correct to say that much history of this grand civilization was destroyed during the Spanish Conquest of 1519 led by Hernan Cortes and his populous army of men. However, through archaeological explorations, the remains of the Mexica have allowed us to fill in the gaps in our historical timeline and give us insight into their way of life. I contend that artifacts that were uncovered in El Templo Mayor are indicators that demonstrate the significance
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When El Templo Mayor was first discussed in class, I imagined a large temple with a grand staircase and smaller temples surrounding it. However, when I saw illustrations of the Templo Mayor my eyes were bewildered at how grand and intricate it actually was. Located in the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is present day Mexico City, El Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Mexica. The temple was built in AD 1325 when the Mexica arrived to Tenochtitlan. They determined this was the land which indicated Huitzilopochtli’s prophecy by the appearance of an eagle that was held by a snake while perched on a cactus (Moctezuma 37). Upon arriving at the prophesied land, the construction of the impressive city of Tenochtitlan …show more content…
The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was a prosperous city, but what evidence do we have to provide the wealth of the Mexica empire? An in depth analysis of the intricate artifacts of featherworks will allow for a better comprehension of Mexica’s economy.
In one of his journals, Diego Duran writes, “ no one could wear featherwork objects and clothing without permission from the tlatoani, the "Governor”, because the feather was the shadow of nobles and kings" (Russo, 231). This reveals that featherworks were a symbol of status and few could have the approval to wear one. This indicates that those who wore elaborate featherworks possessed a high status. This however changed and normal civilians were allowed to wear headdress during
When El Templo Mayor was first discussed in class, I imagined a large temple with a grand staircase and smaller temples surrounding it. However, when I saw illustrations of the Templo Mayor my eyes were bewildered at how grand and intricate it actually was. Located in the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is present day Mexico City, El Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Mexica. The temple was built in AD 1325 when the Mexica arrived to Tenochtitlan. They determined this was the land which indicated Huitzilopochtli’s prophecy by the appearance of an eagle that was held by a snake while perched on a cactus (Moctezuma 37). Upon arriving at the prophesied land, the construction of the impressive city of Tenochtitlan …show more content…
The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was a prosperous city, but what evidence do we have to provide the wealth of the Mexica empire? An in depth analysis of the intricate artifacts of featherworks will allow for a better comprehension of Mexica’s economy.
In one of his journals, Diego Duran writes, “ no one could wear featherwork objects and clothing without permission from the tlatoani, the "Governor”, because the feather was the shadow of nobles and kings" (Russo, 231). This reveals that featherworks were a symbol of status and few could have the approval to wear one. This indicates that those who wore elaborate featherworks possessed a high status. This however changed and normal civilians were allowed to wear headdress during