The Aztecs called themselves the Mexica. They formed part of a larger ethnic group known as the Nahua, who spoke Nahuatl. Unfamiliar with this language? You might know a few words: chocolate, chipotle, coyote, tomato, and avocado derive from Nahuatl words. Even the name Mexico, adopted after Mexicans gained independence from Spain in 1821, comes from Mexica.
1325-1521 C.E.
Learn about the language, origins, politics, religion, calendar, and art of the Mexica.
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The Mexica people formed their capital when they saw the sign they had been promised: an eagle perched on a cactus.
Thirty-three feet long, the Codex Borgia records historical, ritual, mythological, and botanical information.
Capable of being male or female, the Earth Lord Tlaltecuhtli is shown here as a woman who has given birth.
This Mexica water goddess was believed to have presided over the fourth, or most recent, sun.
Identifying which god this mask represents has proven a slippery task.
The turquoise, shell and other materials used on this mask were collected from the far reaches of the Aztec empire.
Snakes shedding their skin was a powerful metaphor for the Aztecs and is reflected in their pantheon of gods.
During the twelfth century C.E. the Aztec (or Mexica*) were a small and obscure tribe searching for a new homeland. Eventually they settled in the Valley of Mexico and founded their capital, Tenochtitlan, in 1345. At the beginning of the sixteenth century it was one of the largest cities in the world. The Mexica were a […]
This vessel represents the goggle-eyed deity associated with rain and crops, critical for the agricultural Aztecs.
The family drama that lead to Coyolxuahqui’s dismemberment represented here has great soap opera potential.
The Mexica were long-distance traders, and Tenochtitlan received luxury goods from distant conquered cities.
So ubiquitous that it has been used on currency, this unfinished stone records Aztec history and a future prophecy.