Aztecs
The Aztec civilization in Central America lasted from roughly 1325 to 1521, controlling a population of roughly 20 million. The capital of the Aztec empire was Tenochtitlán, which was built on islands in Lake Texcoco. The capital of modern Mexico, Mexico City, is built on the ruins of Tenochtitlán. Aztec society was built upon the many previous accomplishments of the people of Teotihuacán. Education, among many of the Aztecs was important, including literacy, arithmatic, and history. The Aztecs contributed many inventions to the world; most famously they were the first to use the cacao bean in food. The Aztecs also posessed a great deal of knowledge about astronomy, and had a complex calendar system based on the positions of heavenly bodies. The Aztecs also made significant advances in irrigation.
Human Sacrifice
Before the European Christians first encounter the civilization, human sacrifice was very profound in Aztec civilization. At the santification of Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlán in 1487, records report the sacrifice of tens of thousands of prisoners over the span of four days.
As described by Spanish accounts [1], the Aztecs tore the heart from the sacrificed, while the victims were still alive.
- ↑ Díaz, Bernal (2005, published posthumously in 1632). Historia verdadera de la conquista de Nueva España (Introducción y notas de Joaquín Ramírez Cabañas). Editorial Porrúa, 24.
