An important of the Americans AXTEC

One of the most important civilizations of the Americas was the Aztec Civilisation. The Aztecs, also called the Mexica, were not native to Mexico and belonged to a tribe called the Chichimeca. They are believed to have immigrated from the mythical land of Aztlan in the North to central Mexico during the pre-Columibian Mesoamerican period after a great drought ravaged their land. Within a couple of centuries they settled on the Valley of Mexico and established their capital at Tenochtitlán in the middle of the Lake Texcoco in 1325 AD. While to begin with this place in the middle of a lake was not quite impressive as a capital, but the patron deity, Huitzilopochtli, is said to have given directions on where to set up the capital. Based on these directions Tenochtitlán was chosen.

When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico it had ruins of two other once thriving cities, Teotihuacán and Tula. Both these cities had been long abandoned. Teotihuacán flourished in the area between 200 BC and 750 AD. Tula is said to have existed here between 950 AD and 1150 AD. The Aztecs were greatly inspired by the huge structures built by them and used to dig up objects and use them. The Aztecs also considered Teotihuacan to be the place of origin of the world. A lot of objects excavated from the Aztec sites therefore did not actually belong to them.

Tenochtitlan grew rapidly due to its strategic position, architectural and military skills of the Aztecs. They constructed causeways and islands on the Lake Texcoco to expand the capital city. Within the next few centuries, the Aztecs grew into a powerful empire and bought almost the whole of Mexico under their rule. By the time the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived here in 1517 AD, Tenochtitlan was one of the largest and developed cities in the world.