10 facts about the Aztecs

The Aztecs ruled a great empire in Central America during the 1300-1500s. Let’s find out what it was like to live there, with these top Aztec facts…

1. The Aztec Empire began with one great city called Tenochtitlan.

It all started when the wandering Aztec people – or Mexica (say ‘meh-shee-ka’) as they called themselves – settled in the Valley of Mexico in around 1320. First, they built a city called Tenochtitlan on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco. Then they started attacking nearby peoples and taking their land.

2. The Empire flourished for around 200 years.

It eventually covered more than 200,000km² and included over three million people. At least 20 different languages were spoken there! During its lifetime, the Aztec Empire was ruled by nine kings – each one known as Tlahtoani, or ‘He who speaks.’

3. Farming was vital to Aztec life.

The Aztecs grew a feast of food, including beans, sweet potatoes, corn, chillies, peppers, avocados, peanuts, and even cacao beans for drinking chocolate! They dredged mud from the bottom of Lake Texcoco and used it to make floating ‘farms’ called chinampas to grow veg in, while carefully constructed canals and aqueducts carried water to flower gardens and homes on land.

4. Many Aztecs were powerful fighters!

Warriors wearing jaguar skins and eagle feathers were sent to expand the empire by taking the land of neighbouring peoples. Armed with two-sided swords called macuahuitls, spear-throwers called atlatls, and shields, they took many captives to sacrifice to their gods. The Aztecs believed their victims’ blood would please them. Gruesome!

5. Aztecs worshipped lots of gods and goddesses.

Aztecs made human sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the Sun, to make sure he kept the sun shining. Coatlicue was the mother of gods and the goddess of life and death. She gave birth to the Moon, the stars and Huitzilopochtli. And Tlaloc (above) was the god of rain, water, thunder and lightning, easily recognised in sculptures by his fanged teeth.

6. Their priests stank!

Aztec priests wore black cloaks, grew their nails long and had hair that was matted with blood – so they often reeked of rotten meat. Ew! During rituals, they often wore scary mosaic masks. Some were made from human skulls!

7. The capital of modern Mexico is built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan.

According to legend, the god Huitzilopochtli told Aztec priests that they should build their capital city, Tenochtitlan, where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus growing from a rock. Now, Mexico City is built in the same spot! The country’s flag still shows an eagle on a cactus to show its Aztec ancestry.

8. Aztec people used TWO calendars!

One, the xiuhpohualli, was 365 days long and split into 18 months. Aztecs used it to work out the agricultural seasons and the ceremonies and sacrifices that went with them. Each month was 20 days long, so there were also five extra nemontemi or ’empty days’ at the end of each year, when everyone fasted and performed ceremonies to ward off bad luck.

A separate, sacred calendar called the tonalpohualli or ‘count of days’, was 260 days long. It was split into 20 13-day periods, each represented by a different god and a hieroglyphic picture.

9. Rich Aztecs wore all sorts of fancy accessories.

Feathered headdresses called diadems, dazzling jewellery and layers of colourful cotton cloaks were all the rage! Gold was abundant in Tenochtitlan, so while it was often used for decoration, ornaments and jewellery, it wasn’t particularly precious to the Aztecs.

But unfortunately, rumours about the ‘City of Gold‘ reached the Spanish, who did value the yellow metal. It wasn’t long before they decided to take the gold – and the empire – for themselves…

10. The Aztec Empire came to a dramatic end.

In 1519, Spanish invaders led by Hernán Cortés arrived in the Aztec Empire. Despite their bravery, the Aztec warriors were no match for the Spanish guns and horses. The Europeans also brought a disease called smallpox to the region, which killed millions of Aztecs. By 1521, Tenochtitlan was in ruins and the Aztec Empire was no more.

What’s your favourite fact about the Aztecs? Let us know in the comments below!

All images © Adobe Stock.