Aztec Accomplishments: Shaping a Legacy of Innovation

The Aztecs, renowned for their military conquests and grand rituals, established a highly developed system of governance that spanned extensive regions, fostered exceptional artistic creations, and preserved the Nahuatl language—a tongue still spoken by over a million people in Mexico today.

And these are just a few of the remarkable Aztec accomplishments.

The Aztecs' exceptional skill in detailed craftsmanship and their profound knowledge of the natural world offer a captivating insight into their vibrant culture. Let’s delve into the extraordinary contributions of this powerful civilization.

Aztec Civilization and Its Lasting Legacy

The Aztecs, or Mexica, were crucial figures in the Pre-Columbian Americas. Their origins can be traced back to the Chichimecas, a group of semi-nomadic and nomadic Indigenous peoples from northern Mexico.

During the 14th century, the Aztecs journeyed from Aztlan to the Valley of Mexico, where they founded their capital, Tenochtitlan, on an islet in Lake Texcoco. This location, which is now Mexico City, was once the center of Aztec civilization, adorned with monumental structures such as pyramids and temples.

The Aztec social hierarchy placed power in the hands of priests and nobles, while their economy thrived from agriculture, trade, and tributes. Their spiritual practices were deeply rooted in polytheism, demonstrated through grand ceremonies and human sacrifices to honor their gods. Strategic alliances, notably the Triple Alliance with Texcoco and Tlacopan, fueled their empire's expansion.

In 1521 C.E., however, their reign came to an end at the hands of Hernán Cortés and his small force.

Although their empire fell, the Aztecs' legacy in art, science, and culture remains strong. Their descendants, the Nahua people, continue to preserve many Aztec traditions, particularly in central Mexico. Over a million people still speak Nahuatl, a powerful reminder of the enduring influence of Aztec culture.

This rich heritage, ranging from gastronomy to celebrations, has become deeply intertwined with Mexico's national identity.

Floating Gardens

The Aztecs chose a difficult location in the Valley of Mexico to establish their grand city, Tenochtitlán, which was built on an island in the swampy waters of Lake Texcoco.

Although the location posed challenges, it offered some benefits. Despite the limited land, the Aztecs developed creative solutions to sustain the vast population of Tenochtitlán, one of which was the creation of "chinampas" or floating gardens.

They cultivated a variety of crops on these artificial islands situated in the shallower areas of the lake. Among these crops were corn, beans, and squash—often called the "Three Sisters" because of how well they grew together—essential for nourishing the city’s residents. The Aztecs also raised animals, such as turkeys, for food and other uses.

To build these agricultural marvels, the Aztecs staked off sections of the lake to outline the desired areas for the gardens.

Within these boundaries, a mat made of woven reeds, twigs, and branches was crafted to form a foundation. On top of this mat, they piled mud from the lakebed, mixed with decomposed plant matter, to create fertile soil ideal for farming.

Willow trees were strategically planted along the edges of the chinampas, serving a dual function: their roots anchored the gardens, while their branches acted as barriers against the wind.

Regular upkeep ensured that these exceptional agricultural fields remained both productive and viable. Human waste was utilized as fertilizer, serving the dual function of enriching the soil while also contributing to maintaining the cleanliness of the city.

The Sacred Calendar System

The Aztec calendar system stands as a remarkable reflection of the civilization's profound understanding of time and cosmology. Rooted in Mesoamerican traditions, the calendar combined the 260-day Tonalpohualli with the 365-day Xiuhpohualli.

The Tonalpohualli, split into 20 periods of 13 days, carried deep spiritual importance, while the Xiuhpohualli was closely aligned with the solar year, segmented into 18 months plus 5 "unlucky" days. Every 52 years, their convergence symbolized the "Calendar Round" or "New Fire Ceremony," a celebration of the renewal of time.

The Aztec Sun Stone, often incorrectly called the "Aztec Calendar," is actually a symbolic artifact representing the civilization's intricate system of timekeeping and their cosmological worldviews.

This grand disc intricately illustrates the cycles, gods, and symbols tied to their calendar. Its elaborate carvings reveal how the Aztecs understood the flow of time, significant cosmic occurrences, and their place in the broader universe.

Universal Education

Education held great importance for the Aztecs, who are often credited with laying the groundwork for the concept of universal education as we recognize it today. Children began their schooling at home, learning essential life skills. Girls were taught domestic responsibilities, while boys were trained in their fathers' professions. To encourage discipline, children were given restricted food portions to foster self-restraint.

For young boys, there were additional trials. They endured physical hardships, such as exposure to extreme weather, as part of their warrior preparation, aimed at cultivating resilience and determination.

From the ages of 12 to 15, all Aztec children attended a school called the cuicacalli, or "house of song." There, they were taught ceremonial songs and the cosmology of their people. To ensure regular attendance, elders accompanied the children to and from school to prevent absences.

For most girls, formal education ended around the age of 15, but boys from commoner families continued their schooling at a telpochcalli, a type of vocational school, until the age of 20. The primary focus of this education was on military training for the Aztec forces.

The children of the nobility, on the other hand, attended the calmécac. In this prestigious school, they received military training but also studied a wide range of subjects including architecture, mathematics, painting, and history. The calmécac was the breeding ground for future priests and government officials.

Soccer

The Aztecs played a game called ollama, which was similar to modern-day soccer, on a distinctive field known as tlachtli. This field had a unique "I" shape and massive walls towering about three times the height of the players. At the top of these walls were stone rings symbolizing the sun's rise and set.

The objective of ollama was to launch a small rubber ball, representing celestial bodies like the sun, moon, or stars, through stone rings. Players were restricted to using their hips, knees, or elbows to score.

Ollama was first played by the Maya, the Aztecs' ancestors, but it gained higher importance in Aztec society and became a game exclusively for the nobles. Although it was a sport, ollama could be violent. Instead of a traditional halftime performance, the game involved human sacrifices, and the team that scored had a chance to rob the spectators.

Vices as Old as Time

Another way the audience engaged in the game was through betting, which was reportedly quite widespread. Indeed, two of the great evils Aztec children were warned about were excessive ball playing and gambling.

Herbalism

The Aztecs were home to highly skilled physicians known as ticitl, who were proficient in the art of herbal medicine. These healers often conducted their research within the vast gardens overseen by the nobility.

A key resource shedding light on Aztec herbal practices is the Badianus Manuscript, an illustrated text from 1552. This manuscript details the use of over 180 plants and trees for treating a range of medical conditions.

Some of the remedies documented in this manuscript might seem unusual by modern standards. For example, a prescription for 'pain or heat in the heart' called for ingredients such as gold, turquoise, red coral, and the charred heart of a stag.

In another case, the Aztecs believed that a chronic headache could be alleviated by making an incision on the skull using a blade made of obsidian (although, it is worth noting that bloodletting was once a widespread practice in many Western cultures as well).

Validation in Modern Medicine

Scientific research has confirmed the effectiveness of certain Aztec remedies. For example, chicalote, a painkiller used by the Aztecs, is identified as Mexican prickly poppy, a plant related to the opium poppy, known for its pain-relieving properties.

Aztec healers also utilized the sap from the maguey (agave) plant as a disinfectant and treatment for wounds, which has been found to effectively eliminate both Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli bacteria.

Red Dye

The Aztecs made a major contribution by introducing a vibrant scarlet color in fabric dyeing that had never been seen in Europe prior to the early 16th century Spanish conquest.

Before this, Europeans mostly relied on madder red, a plant-based dye, to color their fabrics, producing a paler shade compared to the vivid hue achieved by the Aztecs.

The breakthrough came with the discovery of the cochineal beetle's unique qualities. This minuscule creature, thriving on prickly pear cacti, harbored a fascinating secret: nearly a quarter of its body was made up of carminic acid, the key component responsible for producing the vibrant red dye. Incredibly, it took 70,000 cochineal beetles to yield just one pound of this precious dye.

Once the Spaniards recognized the potential of this remarkable dye, they quickly began shipping it to Europe, eager to profit from this new discovery. They took great care to protect the source of the dye, securing their monopoly on it, and cochineal dye became a critical part of their economy for over three centuries.

Due to its high cost, the dye was used sparingly, primarily adorning the red coats of British army officers and the robes of Catholic cardinals.

As the 19th century drew to a close, synthetic substitutes for cochineal were introduced, causing its use in fabric dyeing to decline. However, cochineal did not fade away completely; it was repurposed as a sought-after food coloring, valued for its natural origins.

In the present day, cochineal continues to be widely used in the food industry, maintaining a legacy from the Aztecs as a vibrant and organic source of color in the modern world.